Turnbull and her compatriot Elizabeth Smylie won the bronze medal in women's doubles at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul . In her career she won a total of nine singles and 55 doubles titles, including four doubles titles in Grand Slam tournaments , as well as five titles in mixed. She reached another three singles and eleven doubles finals in Grand Slam tournaments (nine of which she lost to pairings in which Martina Navrátilová played) and another mixed final.
Between 1977 and 1988 she played for the Australian Fed Cup team . In 62 games she celebrated 46 wins; their record in doubles shows 29 wins out of eight defeats (17: 8 wins in singles). From 1985 to 1993 she was either captain or coach of the Australian team.
Wendy Turnbull, whose professional career lasted from 1975 to 1989, was also a member of the ITF's Fed Cup committee . In December 1993, she was honored by the City of Brisbane when she named a park after her. Turnbull was awarded the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1984 .