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From $1 to $25 Million, How the 'Originial Nine' Changed Tennis
Photo courtesy of: Rosie Casals photo gallery
Currently, the number one highest paid female athlete is a tennis player. Though this information has been out in the news for some time, it comes as a big accomplishment today, September 23. Some would like to think that beauty is the main source to thank for Maria Sharapova’s monetary success, earning a record $24.5 million last year of that only $1 million actually came from prize money. Notably, Sharapova signed an eight-year deal with Nike in early 2010 that has been estimated to be worth as much as $70 million, the deal also provides royalties from her own tennis line, and bags and shoes through Nike subsidiary Cole Haan.
               

At this time 40 years ago, women were fighting to even make close to what male players were making. Though the issue was prevalent, it wasn’t until former tennis superstar, and at the time executive director for the Association for Tennis Professionals, Jack Kramer suggested paying the men participating in the Pacific Southwest event 12 times as much as women. Tennis lover and huge advocate for its female players, Gladys Heldman mentored Billie Jean King on the right way to combat this blatant discrimination. Rather than boycott the tournament, the original plan, the women did something better and created the first women-only tennis tournament.
               

Arranging the tournament at the Houston Racquet Club, The Virginia Slims Houston Invitation was born the same year.  Initially, a $5,000 prize was offered to participants with the hopes that the money would come from ticket sales to women's groups in Houston. This amount grew after Joseph Cullman III chairman, at the time, for Philip Morris was persuaded to provide an additional $2,500, bringing the prize money up to $7,500.

Signing week long contracts with World Tennis for $1, Billie Jean King, Rosie Casals, Nancy Richey, Kerry Melville, Peaches Bartkowicz, Kristy Pigeon, Judy Dalton, Valerie Ziegenfuss and Julie Heldman, named the ‘Original Nine,’ signed onto the tour that would later become what we now know as the Women’s Tennis Association, WTA.  In 1971, the Virginia Slims Circuit debuted with 19 tournaments and total prize money of $309,100.
               

Since that time, the WTA Tour has grown to 53 tournaments held across the world over 11 months with more than 2,200 player’s participating. The purse for players has also grown to $86 million, making it the world’s leading sport for women.

Tracing it all back, though some would like to credit good genetics to Sharapova’s success,a lot of her success can be credited to Billie Jean King, eight other women, and $1.

 

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