When you consider famous female tennis players, possibly the most storied is Billie Jean King, who tirelessly fought for equal money for female tennis players. King was not only a tennis superstar, possessing outstanding talent on the courts, but she was also instrumental in rallying support for more prize money for women. She gained comedic fame and publicity from her televised matches against professional men’s tennis player Bobby Riggs. She emerged victorious in this 1973 “Battle of the Sexes,” proving that women deserved the same prize money as men. Her tournament was viewed by more than 50 million people.
Many famous tennis players have similar backgrounds. Some of his parents were professional tennis coaches, so they started playing at a very young age, some as young as 5 years old. The fruits of his labor resulted in multiple world-class tournament victories. Some examples of these women include Maria Bueno (Brazil), Tracy Austin (USA), Lottie Dod (UK), Mary Pierce (CAN, played for FR), Chris Evert (USA), Jennifer Capriati (USA), Monica Seles (Hungary/USA) and Martina Hingis (Switzerland).
Other women are shining examples of the pursuit of excellence at a later age. Charlotte Cooper (USA) was the oldest player to win Wimbledon (1908), at 37 years old. Dorothea Douglass Chambers rose to fame with seven titles won in 1903. After retiring from her, she continued to play doubles until she began training.
Women have scored more than one points record in tennis. Althea Gibson broke the color barrier in women’s tennis, becoming the first African-American to win a title at Wimbledon. Lottie Dod, nicknamed “Little Wonder”, is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as “most versatile female athlete”.
Famous tennis players have long careers. Stefanie Graf was ranked #1 in the Women’s Tennis Association with a record 377 weeks. In 1999, Graf was named the greatest tennis player of the 20th century by the Slims Championships panel. Martina Navratilova reigned as the number 1 tennis player for forty years, 1965-2005.
Sisters Venus and Serena Williams have achieved number 1 status in the world of women’s tennis. In 2000, Venus defeated Serena at Wimbledon. Maria Sharapova exhibited amazing agility and strength in her own games and is known for her power plays. Anna Kournikova is also known for her modeling career. Amelie Mauresmo is famous for her strong game at net and her powerful one-handed backhands. She started playing tennis at the age of 4. In 2004, she reached the Wimbledon semifinals, only to lose to Serena Williams.
Other notable tennis players are Justine Henin-Hardenne and Ana Ivanovic. Henin was the World Tennis Association Player of the Year in 2004 (for 2003) and in 2008 (for 2007). Ivanovic was the top-seeded player at the 2008 US Open and was scheduled to play in the Olympics, but she sat out of it due to a thumb injury.
The WTA ruler was formed in Houston TX, in 1973, in the first Virginia Slims tournament, with Billie Jean King. Today’s tournaments offer millions of dollars in prizes.
