The State of Women’s Tennis Before the Revolution

To fully appreciate the magnitude of Billie Jean King’s achievement in forming the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), one must first understand the precarious state of women’s professional tennis in the late 1960s and early 1970s. For decades, women’s tennis operated under a deeply inequitable system. Tournaments were largely organized by male-dominated bodies like the United States Lawn Tennis Association (USLTA) and the International Lawn Tennis Federation (ILTF). Prize money was grossly disproportionate: in many events, male champions earned four or even eight times what female champions received for the same level of competition. For instance, at the 1970 Italian Open, the men’s singles winner took home $3,500 while the women’s winner received only $600. The same disparity existed at the Pacific Southwest Championships, where Billie Jean King herself was paid just $600 for winning the women’s title while the men’s champion collected $12,500.

Beyond prize money, female players faced restricted schedules. Few tournaments offered women’s events, and when they did, the women’s matches were often relegated to minor courts or scheduled at inconvenient times. Sponsorship opportunities were minimal, and players had little to no representation in the governance of the sport. The prevailing attitude among many officials was that women’s tennis was merely a sideshow to the men’s game. This environment left talented female athletes frustrated, undercompensated, and without a unified voice to demand change.

It was against this backdrop of systemic inequality that Billie Jean King began to emerge not just as a champion on the court, but as a forceful advocate off it. King had already won multiple Grand Slam titles, including Wimbledon and the US Open, but she understood that individual success meant little if women’s tennis as a whole could not command respect and fair compensation. As she later recalled, “I wanted to change the way people thought about women’s sports.” That desire to transform the landscape would soon lead to a historic organizing effort.

Billie Jean King: The Athlete and Activist

Billie Jean King (born Billie Jean Moffitt in 1943) grew up in Long Beach, California, in a family that encouraged her athletic pursuits. She took up tennis at age 11 and quickly demonstrated exceptional talent. By her mid-teens, she was winning junior titles, and in 1961, at just 17, she won her first Wimbledon women’s doubles title. Over the next decade, she amassed a staggering 39 Grand Slam titles across singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. Her playing style was aggressive, net-charging, and mentally tough—traits that mirrored her off-court tenacity.

However, King’s impact transcended her athletic achievements. Even as she competed at the highest level, she began speaking out about the inequality she and her peers faced. In 1967, she criticized the USLTA for its amateurism policies, which restricted players’ ability to earn money. When tennis went “open” in 1968, allowing professionals and amateurs to compete together, King saw both opportunity and danger: opportunity because prize money became available, but danger because the old power structures remained intact, and women were still treated as second-class participants.

King’s vision was not merely to improve conditions for herself, but to create a sustainable professional structure for all female players. She understood that collective bargaining was the only path to meaningful change. She began organizing meetings with other top players, discussing the possibility of forming a players’ union. Her charisma, credibility, and willingness to put her career on the line made her the natural leader of this emerging movement.

The "Original 9" and the Birth of a New Circuit

King’s advocacy reached a critical point in 1970. When she and several other top female players were denied entry to the Pacific Southwest Championships—or offered only token participation—they decided to take drastic action. With backing from tennis promoter Gladys Heldman and financial support from Virginia Slims cigarettes (a Philip Morris brand), eight players—Billie Jean King, Rosie Casals, Nancy Richey, Judy Dalton, Kristy Pigeon, Peaches Bartkowicz, Valerie Ziegenfuss, and Julie Heldman—joined King to form a separate women’s professional tour. They were later joined by a ninth, Kerry Melville. Together, they became known as the “Original 9.”

Each player signed a symbolic $1 contract with Heldman, risking their careers and potential bans from the tennis establishment. On September 23, 1970, they launched the first women’s professional tournament in Houston, Texas, with a prize fund of $7,500—modest by today’s standards but a bold statement of independence. This event was the seed of the Virginia Slims Circuit, which would expand rapidly over the next two years, offering more tournament opportunities, better prize money, and a structure built by and for women.

The Virginia Slims Circuit proved that women’s tennis could draw sponsors and audiences. Within two years, prize money had tripled, and the number of events had grown. Yet the circuit was still fragmented, lacking a central governing body. King and her colleagues realized that a permanent association was needed to give the players a unified voice in negotiations with tournaments, sponsors, and the established tennis organizations.

The Formation of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) in 1973

The culmination of this organizing effort came in 1973. King, together with fellow top players including Casals, Court, Goolagong, and Evert, convened a historic meeting at the Gloucester Hotel in London during the Wimbledon championships. On June 20, 1973, 63 of the world’s top female players gathered to formally establish the Women’s Tennis Association. The WTA’s founding charter outlined three core goals: to organize tournaments into a coherent global tour, to negotiate minimum standards for prize money and conditions, and to advocate for the rights and interests of professional women tennis players.

King was elected as the first president of the WTA, a position she held until 1975. The organization quickly became the sole official voice for women’s professional tennis, recognized by all major tournaments. Its creation centralized scheduling, established ranking systems, and gave players a seat at the table when decisions affecting their careers were made. Perhaps most significantly, the WTA created a pension fund for players, ensuring long-term financial security—a radical concept in an era when most female athletes had no safety net.

“The WTA was founded on the principle that women tennis players should have control over their own destiny. We wanted to be treated as professionals, not as decorations. We wanted equal pay for equal work, and we wanted the world to respect women’s sports.” – Billie Jean King (often paraphrased)

The Immediate Impact: Prize Money and Parity

The formation of the WTA coincided with a series of landmark victories for gender equality in sports. In 1973, the US Open became the first Grand Slam tournament to offer equal prize money to men and women—a direct result of pressure from King and the newly formed WTA. Other tournaments soon followed, though the road was uneven; Wimbledon did not equalize prize money until 2007. Nonetheless, the WTA’s existence gave players the leverage to demand fairness. Between 1973 and 1980, total prize money on the women’s tour increased more than tenfold, from under $2 million to over $20 million.

The WTA also standardized tournament rules, created official rankings (the first woman to be ranked world No. 1 was Chris Evert in 1975), and established a code of conduct. This professionalism attracted sponsors, broadcasters, and fans. The tour expanded globally, with events in Europe, Asia, and Australia. For the first time, women’s tennis was no longer an afterthought—it was a thriving industry in its own right.

The Battle of the Sexes: A Catalyst for the WTA’s Mission

No discussion of Billie Jean King and the WTA is complete without addressing the 1973 “Battle of the Sexes” match against Bobby Riggs. Riggs, a 55-year-old former Wimbledon champion and self-proclaimed male chauvinist, had famously defeated Margaret Court 6-2, 6-1 earlier that year and then challenged King. King accepted, recognizing the broader stake: the match was not just about tennis but about the credibility of women’s sports and the feminist movement.

On September 20, 1973, at the Houston Astrodome, King defeated Riggs in straight sets 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 in front of a television audience estimated at 90 million people worldwide—the largest audience ever to watch a tennis match at that time. The victory was a cultural watershed. It shattered stereotypes about female athletes and proved that women’s tennis could command massive public interest. The WTA leveraged this momentum immediately, using the heightened visibility to negotiate better broadcasting deals and sponsorships. King liked to say that the match “changed the way the world looked at women,” and it certainly accelerated the growth of the tour.

Expanding the WTA: 1970s to 1990s

Under King’s early leadership and the subsequent guidance of presidents like Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, the WTA continued to professionalize. The Virginia Slims Circuit formally merged with the WTA in 1975, creating a unified season. By the late 1970s, the tour had expanded to over 40 events annually, with prize money exceeding $10 million. The rise of stars like Evert, Navratilova, and later Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, and Martina Hingis helped sustain media interest and attract corporate sponsors.

In 1984, the WTA moved its headquarters to Stamford, Connecticut, and established a marketing department to secure title sponsorships. The tour began to systematically market its stars, creating a brand that emphasized athleticism, grace, and empowerment. The WTA also invested in player development programs, particularly in regions with emerging tennis talent like Eastern Europe and Asia.

The 1990s saw further growth: prize money on the WTA tour surpassed $40 million by 1999, and the number of tournaments exceeded 50. The WTA instituted a comprehensive anti-doping program and expanded its player insurance and medical benefits. King’s original vision of a players’ union that protected both the sport and the athletes had become a reality.

The WTA in the 21st Century

Today, the Women’s Tennis Association is the world’s leading professional women’s sports organization. As of 2024, the tour includes over 60 events in more than 30 countries, with combined prize money exceeding $180 million annually. The WTA Finals, the season-ending championship, features the top eight players and offers one of the largest prizes in women’s sports. The WTA ranking system is considered the gold standard for competitive fairness, with players earning points based on performance at all levels of the tour.

The WTA has also become a powerful advocate for social issues beyond tennis. Under the leadership of figures like Stacy Allaster and Steve Simon, the organization has championed gender equality in sports governance, supported LGBTQ+ inclusion, and promoted health and wellness initiatives. The WTA’s “Strong is Beautiful” campaign launched in 2010 celebrated the diversity of female athletes. In recent years, the WTA has pushed for equal prize money at all Grand Slam tournaments—a goal largely achieved at three of the four majors (US Open, Australian Open, Wimbledon after 2007, and French Open after 2006).

The tour has expanded into new markets, including China, where the WTA has built a strong presence through events like the Wuhan Open and the WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai. This global reach has increased the diversity of players and fans, fulfilling King’s dream of a truly international women’s sport.

Billie Jean King’s Enduring Legacy

Billie Jean King’s contributions go far beyond the founding of the WTA. After retiring from competitive tennis in 1990, she remained an active voice for equality and social justice. She founded the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative in 2014, which works to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and beyond. She has been a vocal supporter of LGBTQ+ rights (she was outed as a lesbian in 1981 but later became a prominent advocate), women’s rights, and racial justice.

Her landmark 1973 match against Bobby Riggs continues to resonate, and a 2017 film, “Battle of the Sexes,” introduced her story to a new generation. King has received numerous honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009, the Arthur Ashe Courage Award in 1999, and induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1987. The WTA’s headquarters in St. Petersburg, Florida, is named after her.

Beyond awards, King’s greatest legacy is the institution she helped build. The WTA remains a model for professional women’s sports leagues worldwide. According to the official WTA website, the tour now represents the highest level of competition in women’s tennis and is a platform for athletes to inspire change. King’s famous mantra, “Everyone has the power to make a difference,” is embodied by the countless players who have followed her path—from Martina Navratilova and Serena Williams to Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff.

Comparisons to Other Sports Leagues

The WTA’s success has inspired similar efforts in other sports. The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) was founded in 1996, partly learning from the WTA’s model of player governance and marketing. The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and the Women’s Premier League in cricket have also drawn lessons from the WTA’s organizational structure. While no women’s sports league has yet achieved parity with its male counterpart, the WTA’s sustained growth shows what is possible when athletes take control of their own destinies.

Challenges and Ongoing Struggles

Despite its many successes, the WTA continues to face challenges. Prize money gaps persist at some non-Grand Slam tournaments; the WTA’s average prize money per event is still lower than the ATP’s. There is also ongoing debate about the schedule density and its toll on player health, as well as the need for a more robust player pension (the current system offers substantial benefits, but critics argue it is underfunded). Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed vulnerabilities in the tour’s financial structure, with several lower-tier tournaments disappearing.

Yet the WTA’s ability to adapt—through digital innovation, flexible scheduling, and strong leadership—shows that it remains resilient. Today’s players, many of whom were not yet born in 1973, benefit from the foundation King and the Original 9 laid. As noted in a tennis.com feature, the WTA’s founding is “the single most important event in the history of women’s professional sports.”

Conclusion: A Revolution That Continues

The formation of the Women’s Tennis Association in 1973 was not an isolated act of rebellion—it was the culmination of years of frustration, strategic planning, and courageous risk-taking by Billie Jean King and her fellow players. The WTA did more than organize tournaments; it created a platform for female athletes to claim their value, their power, and their rightful place in the sports world. Fifty years later, the WTA stands as a testament to King’s vision that women’s tennis could be a vehicle for social change.

King once said, “Sports are a microcosm of society, and if we can change things in sports, maybe we can change things in society.” The WTA has proven that collective action can transform an entire industry. As the tour continues to expand and inspire new generations, the legacy of Billie Jean King endures—not just as a Hall of Fame champion, but as the architect of a movement that forever altered the landscape of women’s athletics. Her story reminds us that real change requires not only talent and determination, but also the courage to stand up and say, “We deserve better.” And thanks to the WTA, women in tennis now have the structure to demand that respect, year after year.