The winner of a record 25 national junior titles, Austin was a prodigy whose career ended prematurely, probably because she undertook a grueling schedule at an early age.

At fourteen, she became the youngest player ever to enter Wimbledon and the U. S. Open and the youngest to be ranked among the top ten U. S. players.

In 1978, she was ranked among the top ten in the world and she became the youngest woman ever to represent the U. S. in Wightman and Federation Cup play. Austin was named female athlete of the year by Associated Press in 1979, when she won the  U. S. Open at sixteen years and nine months, another "youngest" record. She had earlier won the Italian Open, breaking Chris Evert's string of 125 consecutive victories on clay courts.

Her back began to bother her again late in 1982 and she then suffered a shoulder injury. The accumulating injuries forced her to announced her retirement in June of 1983.