Brenda Schultz-McCarthy
A Dutch tennis powerhouse whose thunderous serve, one of the fastest in women's history, made her a constant threat on any surface.
Born 1970 (age 56)·Dutch tennis player·Birthday: December 28·Generation X
Biography
Brenda Schultz-McCarthy stepped onto the court with a weapon that commanded immediate respect: a serve that could crack 120 mph, a rarity in 1990s women's tennis. Standing at 6'2", her game was built around that formidable first strike, which carried her to a career-high ranking of No. 9 in the world. While a major singles title ultimately eluded her, she was a perennial danger, reaching the quarterfinals at both Wimbledon and the US Open and notching wins over nearly every top player of her era. Her powerful style translated to significant success in doubles, where she won 15 WTA titles and reached the finals of both Wimbledon and the US Open. Schultz-McCarthy's career, spanning over a decade on tour, is a testament to the disruptive power of a single, extraordinary skill and the athleticism required to back it up.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Brenda was born in 1970, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Brenda Was Born
The biggest hits of 1970
#1 Movie
Love Story
Best Picture
Patton
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Brenda's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1970Born
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1975Started school
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1983Became a teenager
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Could drive
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1988Could vote
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Turned 21
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2000Turned 30
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 40
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 50
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 56 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Recorded one of the fastest serves in women's tennis history, officially clocked at 130 mph (209 kph).
- Achieved a career-high singles ranking of world No. 9 in 1996.
- Reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon (1995) and the US Open (1995, 1996).
- Won 15 WTA Tour doubles titles and was a doubles finalist at Wimbledon (1995) and the US Open (1995, 1996).
- Represented the Netherlands in Fed Cup competition for over a decade, playing 36 ties.
Did You Know?
Her recorded serve speed of 130 mph (209 kph) remained the unofficial women's record for many years.
She married American football player Sean McCarthy in 1995 and competed under the hyphenated name Schultz-McCarthy.
She defeated world No. 1 Steffi Graf in straight sets at the 1995 Italian Open.
After retiring, she became a tennis commentator for Dutch television.
“My serve was my signature; it was how I started every fight.”
