Billie Jean King-led "Original 9" inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame
American legend Billie Jean King and the eight other female players responsible for the launch of a new women’s professional tennis circuit over 50 years ago were inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday.
The International Tennis Hall of Fame aims to "preserve" and "promote" the history of tennis by immortalizing those who contributed towards the growth of the sport. The induction ceremony takes place every year at the Newport Casino in Rhode Island, USA.
To be chosen as a Hall of Famer, a nominee must receive at least 75% of the votes from the Official Voting Group, which comprises of global tennis media, historians, and industry leaders who have in-depth knowledge of the sport and its history.
The class of 2021 included the "Original 9" spearheaded by the legendary Billie Jean King, as well as former Australian star Lleyton Hewitt.
Apart from King, the "Original 9" comprises Peaches Bartkowicz, Rosie Casals, Julie Heldman, Kristy Pigeon, Valerie Ziegenfuss, Kerry Melville Reid, Judy Tegart Dalton, and Nancy Richey.
Appalled by the vast inequality in prize money paid to male and female players and the lack of professional tournaments for women, the Original 9 rebelled against the United States Tennis Association (USTA) by signing a $1 contract for the establishment of the Virginia Slims Circuit in 1970.
This women's-only tennis tour later became the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) in 1973.
In her induction speech, Billie Jean King recalled the vision of the group, stating how they wanted every girl to be able to make a living playing professional tennis.
"The nine of us, along with our fearless leader Gladys Heldman [ founder of World Tennis Magazine], had one vision for the future of women's tennis," King said. "We wanted any girl in the world, if she was good enough, would have a place to compete, to be recognized for her accomplishments, not only her looks, and most importantly, to be able to make a living playing professional tennis."
Kristy Pigeon hailed the Original 9 for being "crazy enough" to change the course of tennis history.
"We were misfits, troublemakers, rebels, but we were just crazy enough to change the world of tennis. We tried hard and sure enough, we changed it," she said.
Conchita Martinez, Goran Ivanisevic join Billie Jean King in Hall of Fame
Another tennis great enshrined in the Hall of Fame on Saturday was Conchita Martinez, who was inducted as part of the Class of 2020.
The Spaniard won her only Major title at Wimbledon in 1994 when she beat Martina Navratilova in the final. Her win over Navratilova also made her the first Spanish player to lift the women's singles title at the All England Club.
After her retirement, she went on to coach Garbine Muguruza to the 2017 Wimbledon title.
Martinez, in her induction speech, reminisced about her historic Wimbledon win, saying she was proud to have accomplished such a feat.
“I am so proud to have been the first Spanish woman to take the title home,” Martinez said. “The memory of playing against, and defeating Martina Navratilova, who was going after her 10th championships at Wimbledon, will stay with me forever.”
“But let me tell you, playing for your country in Fed Cup or the Olympics is no walk in the park,” added Martinez, who has won three Olympic medals in doubles. “The responsibility is huge as you feel you're carrying the hopes of your country on your shoulders. Sleep did not come easy, as you can imagine, but yet I felt privileged and proud to represent Spain.”
Along with Martinez, Goran Ivanisevic was also inducted into the Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2020. The Croat won the 2001 Wimbledon title, as well as two Olympic medals.
Since 2019, he has served as the coach of Novak Djokovic, who has won five Grand Slams under Ivanisevic's tutelage.
Ivanisevic, a former World No. 2, explained how he never stopped believing in himself despite the many ups and downs in his career.
“I had a lot of ups and downs, and I never stopped believing,” he said. “So for the first time in my life, I can say, I am proud of myself. And two, three Gorans, five Gorans, to every Goran in this world, you guys made me proud. We did it our different way, we did it our hard way, but we did it our way.”