Eastbourne

ROTHESAY INTERNATIONAL EASTBOURNE
The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA)
was founded at a meeting of players called
by Billie Jean King on June 21, 1973, on the
eve of the Wimbledon Championships.
Frustrated by entrenched
sexism in the sport’s
establishment, which
ultimately resulted in
competing circuits and a
divided talent pool, King
recognized the need for
the women to formally
join forces to take control
of their destiny.
With Dutch player Betty
Stöve standing guard at the
door of a packed conference
room at London’s Gloucester
Hotel, King – who had
won nine of her 12 Grand
Slam singles titles by that
time – was determined
no-one would leave until
definitive agreement
had been reached.
She emerged from the
meeting triumphant, having
been elected President
of the new Association,
with Britain’s Virginia
Wade as Vice President.
What started as a player
union is now a worldleading
member association
between athletes and the
50- plus tournaments on
six continents that make
up the Hologic WTA Tour
calendar each year.
Heading into 2023,
32 countries were
represented in the Top
100 of the WTA Rankings
and they will entertain a
worldwide audience of
more than 900 million.
Alongside compelling tales
of victory and defeat, the
WTA’s five-decade history
is punctuated by a string
of notable breakthroughs
for women’s sports.
“When we gathered at the
Gloucester Hotel, we were at
a point in our history that we
needed one strong, unified
voice among the players,”
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Devonshire Park, Eastbourne | 24 June - 01 July 2023