Pauline Parmentier
A determined French competitor whose powerful game and fighting spirit led her to four WTA singles titles and Fed Cup glory.
Born 1986 (age 40)·French tennis player·Birthday: January 31·Millennials
Biography
Pauline Parmentier played tennis with a warrior's heart, her game built on heavy groundstrokes and an unyielding competitive will. Turning professional in 2000, she navigated the tour's ups and downs for nearly two decades, peaking inside the world's top 40. Her victories were hard-fought; she won four WTA singles titles, each on clay, by out-muscling and out-lasting her opponents. Parmentier's proudest moments likely came wearing the blue of France, where she was a stalwart in Fed Cup competition for over a decade, contributing to the team's 2019 championship run. While a major singles breakthrough eluded her, she earned widespread respect for her professionalism and tenacity, retiring as a beloved figure in French tennis who maximized every ounce of her talent.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Pauline was born in 1986, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Pauline Was Born
The biggest hits of 1986
#1 Movie
Top Gun
Best Picture
Platoon
#1 TV Show
The Cosby Show
Pauline's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1986Born
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
1991Started school
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
1999Became a teenager
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2002Could drive
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2004Could vote
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2007Turned 21
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2016Turned 30
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 40
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won four WTA Tour singles titles, all on clay courts, in Istanbul, Bad Gastein, Quebec City, and Istanbul again.
- Was a key member of the French team that won the Fed Cup (now Billie Jean King Cup) in 2019.
- Achieved a career-high singles ranking of World No. 40 in 2008.
Did You Know?
She served as the president of the WTA Players' Council from 2017 until her retirement in 2021.
All four of her WTA tournament wins came in different years, spanning from 2007 to 2018.
She defeated former World No. 1 Venus Williams in the first round of the 2014 French Open.
“I always fought like a dog on the court. I think that's what people will remember about me.”
