Carling Bassett-Seguso (born October 9, 1967 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian former professional tennis player. She reached a career-high WTA singles ranking of No. 8 on March 4, 1985 and a career-high WTA doubles ranking of No. 51 on January 19, 1987.
Bassett-Seguso is the first Canadian male or female to be ranked in the top 10 in singles or in doubles. In 1981, Bassett-Seguso won the Canadian junior indoor tennis title. In 1982, she was ranked the No. 2 junior player in the world after winning events in Tokyo and Taipei. That year, she also became the youngest winner of the Canadian closed championship at the age of 14. She won the title again in 1983 and in 1986. Also in 1982, she became the first Canadian to win the under-18 Orange Bowl. By age 16, Bassett-Seguso was Canada's top tennis player. At the same time, she had a successful second career as a fashion model, working for the world-famous Ford modeling agency. She also dabbled in acting, being promoted as one of the stars of a 1982 teen comedy film Spring Fever, and later appearing in a 1984 episode of The Littlest Hobo. In 1983, Bassett-Seguso advanced to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open and won her first top-level singles titles in Pennsylvania. In 1984, she reached the quarterfinals at the French Open and, in her best performance at a Grand Slam, the semifinals at the US Open where she defeated Elizabeth Smylie, Pascale Paradis, Mima Jaušovec, Petra Delhees and Hana Mandlíková before losing to Chris Evert. She reached the French Open quarterfinals again in 1986. Bassett won her second top-level singles title in 1987 at Strasbourg. Bassett was named the WTA's Most Impressive Newcomer in 1983, and won the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award as Canada's Female Athlete of the Year in 1983 and 1985. She was also named Tennis Canada female player of the year in 1983, 1984, 1985. She retired in 1990.
Bassett is the daughter of John F. Bassett and Susan Carling, and the granddaughter of media baron John Bassett and politician and brewery executive John Carling. Bassett married American tennis player Robert Seguso in 1987. The couple have two sons and three daughters – Holden John Seguso, born March 14, 1988, daughter Carling Jr., born in 1990, Ridley Jack, born in 1993, Lennon Shy on April 10, 2010 and the youngest, Theodora. Holden has played in a handful of Futures tennis tournaments, off and on, since 2005. Bassett-Seguso was inducted into the Canadian Tennis Hall of Fame in 1998.
WTA career finals
Singles: 6 (2 titles, 4 runners-up)
Legend
Grand Slam tournaments (0–0)
WTA Championships (0–0)
Virginia Slims (2–4)
Titles by surface
Hard (0–2)
Clay (1–1)
Grass (0–0)
Carpet (1–1)
Result
W–L
Date
Tournament
Tier
Surface
Opponent
Score
Win
1–0
Feb 1983
VS of Pennsylvania, United States
Virginia Slims
Carpet (i)
Sandy Collins (USA)
2–6, 6–0, 6–4
Loss
1–1
Feb 1983
Congoleum Classic, United States
Virginia Slims
Hard
Yvonne Vermaak (RSA)
3–6, 5–7
Loss
1–2
Apr 1983
Amelia Island Championships, United States
Virginia Slims
Clay
Chris Evert-Lloyd (USA)
3–6, 6–2, 5–7
Loss
1–3
Nov 1983
Ginny Championships, United States
Virginia Slims
Carpet (i)
Kathleen Horvath (USA)
6–4, 2–6, 6–7(1–7)
Loss
1–4
Oct 1984
Eckerd Open, United States
Virginia Slims
Hard
Michelle Torres (USA)
1–6, 6–7(4–7)
Win
2–4
May 1987
Internationaux de Strasbourg, France
Virginia Slims
Clay
Sandra Cecchini (ITA)
6–3, 6–4
Doubles: 3 (2 titles, 1 runner-up)
Legend
Grand Slam tournaments (0–0)
WTA Championships (0–0)
Virginia Slims (2–4)
Titles by surface
Hard (2–0)
Clay (0–1)
Grass (0–0)
Carpet (0–0)
Result
W–L
Date
Tournament
Tier
Surface
Partner
Opponents
Score
Win
1–0
Oct 1984
Eckerd Open, United States
Virginia Slims
Hard
Elizabeth Sayers (AUS)
Mary-Lou Daniels (USA) Wendy White (USA)
6–4, 6–3
Loss
1–1
Apr 1985
Amelia Island Championships, United States
Virginia Slims
Clay
Chris Evert-Lloyd (USA)
Rosalyn Fairbank (RSA) Hana Mandlíková (TCH)
1–6, 6–2, 2–6
Win
2–1
Nov 1985
Eckerd Open, United States
Virginia Slims
Hard
Gabriela Sabatini (ARG)
Lisa Bonder (USA) Laura Gildemeister (PER)
6–0, 6–0
Singles performance timeline
Tournament
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
SR
W–L
Win %
Grand Slam tournaments
Australian Open
A
QF
1R
A
NH
4R
A
A
A
0 / 3
5–3
63%
French Open
Q2
1R
QF
4R
QF
3R
1R
A
Q1
0 / 6
13–6
68%
Wimbledon
A
4R
3R
2R
4R
1R
1R
A
Q1
0 / 6
9–6
60%
US Open
Q3
3R
SF
4R
1R
2R
3R
1R
A
0 / 7
13–7
65%
Win–Loss
0–0
8–4
11–4
7–3
7–3
5–4
2–3
0–1
0–0
0 / 22
40–22
65%
Doubles performance timeline
Tournament
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
SR
W–L
Win %
Grand Slam tournaments
Australian Open
1R
QF
A
NH
A
A
A
A
0 / 2
2–2
50%
French Open
1R
2R
1R
2R
3R
A
A
2R
0 / 6
5–6
45%
Wimbledon
2R
2R
2R
A
2R
A
A
1R
0 / 5
4–5
44%
US Open
3R
3R
QF
2R
A
2R
1R
A
0 / 6
9–6
60%
Win–Loss
3–4
6–4
4–3
2–2
3–2
1–1
0–1
1–2
0 / 19
20–19
51%
Mixed doubles performance timeline
Tournament
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
SR
W–L
Win %
Grand Slam tournaments
Australian Open
Not Held
2R
A
A
A
A
0 / 1
1–1
50%
French Open
1R
QF
1R
2R
1R
A
1R
A
3R
A
0 / 7
5–6
45%
Wimbledon
A
1R
3R
2R
1R
1R
1R
A
A
1R
0 / 7
3–7
30%
US Open
A
A
A
A
2R
A
2R
A
A
A
0 / 2
2–2
50%
Win–Loss
0–1
3–2
2–1
1–2
1–3
1–2
1–3
0–0
2–1
0–1
0 / 17
11–16
41%
Wins over top-10 opponents
Bassett-Seguso has a 3–30 (9%) record against players who were, at the time the match was played, ranked in the top 10.
