Introduction
Elly Hakami (born August 25, 1969) was an American professional tennis player from the mid-1980s until 1997. Hakami is from Tiburon, California near San Francisco and makes her home there today. She was ranked world No. 32 in 1988. In 1987, when she was ranked No. 44, she played in the third round of the US Open and was beaten by Gabriela Sabatini. They had a re-match in 1989 in the Miami Masters, in which Hakami also lost.
In 1987 Hakami played against the world’s highest ranking woman player, Martina Navratilova in Manhattan Beach, California. Although Hakami lost the match in straight sets, Navratilova said of Hakami, "She's a very good player. She seems to be very bright and she's a lot better all-court player than I thought she would be. I thought she served well and she comes out tough."
Family
Hakami is married to Polo Cowan, a tennis pro at the Tiburon Peninsula Club. They have two children, Sonya and Polo, and live in Tiburon, California.