NEW YORK | 50 years ago this year, the American Billie Jean King, supported by several other players, founded the WTA. The anniversary of the birth of the body that oversees women’s professional tennis is also celebrated with great fanfare at the US Open, where King appears on the promotional poster for the tournament.
And on Friday night, those golden weddings were celebrated at New York’s Ziegfeld Ballroom, where several former players and current stars, including Canada’s Bianca Andreescu, swapped in their traditional sneakers and sportswear for smarter outfits.
Bianca Andreescu Photo Getty Images via AFP
Donna Vekic Photo Getty Images via AFP
The importance of equal pay
But there were obviously not only beautiful dresses that evening. The occasion consisted of some headliners giving inspirational speeches about the development of women’s sport.
Beginning with the main prospect, Billie Jean King, who recalled the importance of “the players of today and tomorrow continuing to lead the WTA into a future where women have the opportunity to compete on the biggest stages, recognized to become and, most importantly, get paid right away,” the WTA website reads.
Billie Jean King and Bianca Andreescu Photo Getty Images via AFP
For her part, the young Coco Gauff, 19 years old and sixth in the world, underlined the contribution of these women who were “fearless” in 1973, as well as those who followed them.
“Thanks to Billie Jean King and Venus Williams, who used their superpowers to fight for equal pay, we’re one step closer to a sport that respects and rewards players equally,” said the American.
Coco Gauff Photo Getty Images via AFP