Tennis News

The introduction of Open Tennis in 1968 meant amateur and professional players could compete on the same stages – bringing an end to the hypocrisy of ‘shamateurism’ – but it didn’t do much for the women who played the sport. In fact, in the first couple of years the gulf in prize money offered to men and women only grew. Adding insult to injury, there were few opportunities for the women to shine on their own terms. Tournaments were joint but far from equal.

Matters came to a head in the summer of 1970, when Jack Kramer’s prestigious Pacific Southwest event proposed paying the men more than eight times as much as the so-called ‘fairer sex’ – even though the intended women’s field was packed with stars.

Enter Gladys Heldman, the savvy founder and publisher of World Tennis magazine. Devoted to the sport and a passionate advocate of the women who played it, Heldman counseled Billie Jean King, the powerbroker among the players, against a boycott of Kramer’s event. Instead, when Kramer would not budge on prize money, Heldman arranged for the Houston Racquet Club to host a women-only tournament.

Riding the winds of societal change, the initial $5,000 purse was to come from ticket sales to women’s groups associated with tennis in the city. Heldman also persuaded her friend Joseph Cullman III, an avid tennis fan and chairman of tobacco giant Philip Morris, to provide an additional $2,500 in return for naming rights for his Virginia Slims brand.

For the new Virginia Slims Invitational, Heldman set about recruiting players who signed weeklong $1 contracts with her company. More than just a symbolic act, this approach protected the tennis club from any lawsuit that might be launched by the tennis establishment.

Despite threats from the United States Lawn Tennis Association (USLTA) that they would be banned from competing at Grand Slams and lose their national rankings, nine women signed up: King, Rosie Casals, Nancy Richey, Judy Dalton, Kerry Melville Reid, Julie Heldman, Kristy Pigeon, Peaches Bartkowicz and Valerie Ziegenfuss.

They became known as the Original 9.

“I felt a sense of both fear and exhilaration,” recalled King, four decades on. “We knew we were making history and we had such a strong sense of purpose. I just kept thinking about the vision we had for the future of our sport. We wanted to ensure that any girl in the world that was good enough would have a place to go and make a living playing tennis.”

Any fears were not unfounded, for the rebels did suffer consequences: The two Australians in the group, Dalton and Melville Reid, were forced out of their national championships, for instance. Dalton – who would finish runner-up to Casals at Houston – was even prevented from using her Slazenger racquet for two years.

Still, so pleased was Virginia Slims with the Houston spectacle that its sponsorship skyrocketed; the resulting 21-event World Tennis Women’s Pro Tour offered a total prize purse of some $336,100 in 1971. It was a politically fraught time for the sport as a whole, with the USLTA mounting a rival circuit that relied heavily on the talents of the young Chris Evert and foreign stars such as Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong and Virginia Wade.

Ultimately, though, the marketing savvy of Virginia Slims and the determined promotional efforts of the players saw the Slims roadshow win the PR battle. In 1973 the sport’s rival factions cast aside differences and the WTA was formed. For the first time, all of the top women would present a united front and the tour hasn’t looked back since: the 2016 edition of the WTA’s Road to Singapore will travel through 33 countries with 56 events, plus the four Grand Slam tournaments, players competing for more than $137 million in prize money.

“Today’s players are living our vision,” King said. “In 1970, and even a few years after we signed the $1 contract with Gladys, people never believed women’s tennis would be a global sport and that players would be making the money they make today. But it is a reality and I know today’s players will continue our dreams for future generations in tennis and inspire other women’s sports as well.”

— Adam Lincoln

TOKYO, Japan – Caroline Wozniacki came to the Toray Pan Pacific Open having re-asserted her presence among the game’s elite at the US Open. Ranked No.74 in late August, the Dane roared into her first Grand Slam semifinal in exactly two years, and reminded fans and pundits that she was still one to watch.

Backing up that run in New York might have been tough for some, but Wozniacki’s week in Tokyo was arguably more impressive, earning two more Top 10 victories – including a thrilling win over No.2 seed Agnieszka Radwanska – to take her first title of 2016. Can she keep up her exciting start to the WTA’s Asian Swing?

WTA Insider caught up with Wozniacki after withstanding the charge from Japanese teenager, Naomi Osaka:

WTA Insider: Take me through the week and how you were able to maintain your form from the US Open with some great wins. What was the key for you this week in Tokyo?
Wozniacki: It’s been a great week, and I think the court really suits me. It’s kind of fast; the ball is a little heavy, but I’ve played well here in the past, and I think grinding and fighting for every point was key. I had some tough three-set matches here this week, and I managed to pull those off. I’m just really happy to be here at the end of the tournament.

WTA Insider: Going back to maybe a few days after the US Open, and you’re thinking about the rest of the season. What’s going through your mind as you know you’re playing well and have a great opportunity in Asia. What’s your motivation or your thought process before heading to Tokyo?
Wozniacki: Honestly, I took some days off and relaxed after enjoying a good US Open run. I had some sponsor commitments, and had a few hits, or actually one hit before I left for Tokyo. I practiced with a few of the girls here before my first match. I felt good, like I was hitting the ball well. I knew I’d face a few tough opponents, but I was feeling confident and hitting the ball well. That combination is good for me.

WTA Insider: Did you think you had a level of confidence heading to Tokyo that you hadn’t had the rest of the year?
Wozniacki: I just felt like I played well at the US Open, and if I could keep that up, I would be tough to beat. But you never know; it’s a new week, new tournament, and I was just coming in here trying to take one match at a time – I know that’s a cliché – and go from there. I know that, when I’m healthy, I can play well, so hopefully I can carry this on into the rest of the year.

WTA Insider: Flashback to Zhuhai, and maybe again when we spoke in Eastbourne. Your injuries were creeping up and had obviously derailed your season for several months. You kept saying that if you kept working, surely luck has to break your way somehow. Do you feel like that’s what has happened over the past four weeks?
Wozniacki: It’s been a great few weeks. I’m just happy that I’ve managed to get some great wins under my belt. It hasn’t been about getting easy draws, but I’ve gotten some breaks to win the tight matches. I’ve been healthy for a little bit now, which is huge for me. Hopefully I can build on that moving forward.

WTA Insider: Talking about the final a little bit: you fell behind the early break, and was able to turn things around. Was there a leg issue as well?
Wozniacki: I don’t know; hopefully it’ll feel better tomorrow. I got some treatment on it, got it taped up. Right now, I’m going to try and enjoy this win for as long as I can. It was a tough match; Naomi’s a great player, and really young, so she has lots of potential. I think we’ll see lots of her in the future.

WTA Insider: You were talking about the ability to turn things around and play better tennis in New York, and you’re playing much more offensively, getting to the net. That seems like a change; is that something you’ve put into your mind about shortening points?
Wozniacki: I think I’m maybe moving a little bit faster. I’ve been able to work on my fitness, so that means that I can get to the ball faster and take it earlier. That gets my opponent out of position, and that makes it easier to get to net, when the opportunity is there.

WTA Insider: You’re going to board a plane fairly quickly to head over to China. There’s lots of points in Wuhan and Beijing. How much does getting back into the Top 20 or other possible ranking goals play on your mind?
Wozniacki: Not really. I’m playing well; obviously, being in the Top 10 is a goal. But everything else, I’m just happy to have won here and I’m going to do my best to deal with this really quick turnaround. We’ll have to see how I can do that, go out there and fight.

WTA Insider: The semifinal you played against Aga was one of the most riveting matches of the year. You had your back against the all and were able to pull that out. How much do those wins over top players mean to you right now?
Wozniacki: It was such a great fight. Aga and I know each other so well, and we know each other’s games so well. We always know we’re going to have long rallies, and it’s going to be a fun match for both of us. I had my back against the wall and she was playing really well, but I somehow managed to fight and stay aggressive. I went for my shots and they went in at the right moments. It was a grueling match, but a fun one and I really enjoyed it. It definitely means a lot beating a top player, and feeling like I’m back where I want to be.

WTA Insider: Do you fee like you are? Are you there, or are you getting there? Where is Caroline right now?
Wozniacki: I think I’m feeling good. Obviously, you can always improve and always play better. But I feel like I’m hitting the ball well; I’ve beaten four Top 10 players in the last couple of weeks, and it’s been good. I’m just enjoying it and hopefully I can carry this momentum forward to the rest of the year.

All photos courtesy of Getty Images.