Meet the 79-year-old tennis icon taking on teens in search of just one more professional win

Gail Falkenberg, 79, is still competing on the professional tennis circuit and hopes to win one more match before she turns 80 in January. Her latest attempt ended in a 6-0, 6-0 qualifying defeat to 19-year-old Aspen Schuman in Orlando, but Falkenberg says she will keep playing while she remains healthy.

Falkenberg made tennis history in 2016 by becoming the oldest player to win an ITF circuit match, aged 69, beating 22-year-old Rosalyn Small 6-0, 6-1. A former UCLA walk-on athlete, she later reached No. 360 in the WTA rankings, won a qualifying match at the 1988 Australian Open and coached at the University of Central Florida, where her 132-43 record stood as the programme’s best until 2025. She now coaches in Ocala and says competing helps her stay active and connected with younger players.