Reflecting on the historic gathering of female tennis players that took place at a London hotel half a century ago, Billie Jean King acknowledges her uncertainty about how the day would unfold. In an interview with The Associated Press, King confessed, “I had no idea. It was a complete toss-up because you never really know. However, what I did know was that certain players were not supportive of our cause. And I was certain that it had to happen that day. It was essential.”
This year, June 21, 1973, marks the 50th anniversary of that meeting at the Gloucester Hotel, located in the heart of the British capital, approximately a mile south of Hyde Park. During that momentous gathering, King and nearly 60 other players came together and established what is now recognized as the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA). Their bold step paved the way for the growth of their sport and women’s sports in general.
To commemorate this significant milestone, a reunion is planned on June 30 at the very same hotel. Attendees will include King, a two-time inductee into the International Tennis Hall of Fame and a prominent advocate for equal rights, as well as a dozen or so other founding members of the WTA, such as Rosie Casals, Betty Stöve, Françoise Dürr, and Ingrid Löfdahl-Bentzer.
The memory that stands out the most for King from that historic occasion is when she stood at the podium and delivered a passionate speech to her fellow tennis players. She vividly remembers the moment when she told them, with conviction, that this was the defining moment. She emphasized that they had to take action now, stating that she wouldn’t dedicate any more time to the cause if they didn’t seize the opportunity. However, King had unwavering faith that they would succeed. She stressed the gravity of the decision they were about to make, declaring it to be the most important one for their sport. As she recounts the memory, King taps her right palm on a table, indicating her determination. Throughout the gathering, she kept reinforcing the need for unity, repeatedly emphasizing the imperative nature of their collective effort.
At the time, King referred to the initiative as a “union,” although her lawyer reminded her that the more accurate term was an “association.” The objective was to unite all women’s professional tennis players under one umbrella organization.
King and her fellow pioneers faced challenges in convincing every player to fully commit without fearing potential penalties. They understood that the responsibility to lead fell upon their shoulders, and they embraced it. Rosie Casals, speaking in a telephone interview, shared her perspective on those days, saying, “It was difficult to get everybody to feel as if they could commit and not worry about being penalized. They looked upon us to lead them the right way — and we did.” Casals explained that their primary goal was to convince women of the necessity to be a part of this movement. Some players hesitated initially, but eventually, they joined, recognizing the significance of the cause.
Originally, the group was named the Women’s International Tennis Association. However, King humorously recalls insisting on keeping the name concise, stating, “Let’s not do more than three letters, please. I can’t remember it if there are too many letters. Can we just do three?” Eventually, the name was shortened accordingly.
Before the momentous vote to proceed with their endeavor, King enlisted the help of Betty Stöve, a Dutch player who achieved great success in women’s and mixed doubles, winning 10 Grand Slam titles. Stöve also served as WTA president for three terms. King asked Stöve to position herself near the exit of the conference room, ensuring that nobody could leave until an association was formed.
“I had Betty back there. I said, ‘Don’t let anybody out until we have an association,'” King recounted. “But nobody left. Not one person even got up. It was amazing. We had their attention.” The dedication and commitment shown by all the players in that moment demonstrated their shared determination and unwavering support for the cause.
During the formation of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), several key roles were assigned to prominent individuals. Billie Jean King was elected as the president, Virginia Wade became the vice president, Lesley Hunt served as the assistant vice president, Françoise Dürr and Ingrid Löfdahl Bentzer took on the roles of co-secretaries, Rosie Casals chaired a committee responsible for examining the rankings system, and Betty Stöve became the treasurer. This collective effort ensured the smooth functioning of the newly formed association.
This significant milestone occurred nearly three years after the Original 9 group, consisting of Billie Jean King, Rosie Casals, Peaches Bartkowicz, Judy Dalton, Julie Heldman, Kerry Melville Reid, Kristy Pigeon, Nancy Richey, and Valerie Ziegenfuss, signed $1 contracts with Gladys Heldman, the publisher of World Tennis Magazine. These contracts allowed them to participate in the first women-only tennis tournament. This marked the beginning of the Virginia Slims circuit, which eventually led to the establishment of the WTA.
Billie Jean King, reflecting on her tennis career, expressed that the formation of the Original 9 and the WTA were the two happiest days of her tennis life. She emphasized the importance of bringing about change, fostering unity, and empowering women in the sport. The impact of their efforts is evident, as female athletes like Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova went on to achieve groundbreaking milestones in terms of career earnings.
Presently, the WTA organizes more than 50 top-level tournaments, along with additional events at a lower tier. With equal prize money now being awarded at Grand Slam tournaments, the WTA season offers more than $180 million in prize money. Billie Jean King emphasized that although there is still progress to be made, she takes pride in the fact that women’s tennis has influenced other sports and has played a pivotal role in advancing the culture of women’s sports as a whole. As she claps her hands emphatically, King states, “We’re the ones. I don’t know how long we’ll be the leaders, but we’re still the leaders.”
