WATCH: Iga Swiatek, Serena Williams, Martina Navratilova and others feature in WTA's 50th-anniversary celebrations
Current leaders of the women's tennis world such as Iga Swiatek and Naomi Osaka, among others, along with legends of the sport such as Serena Williams, Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert and more, graced the WTA's 50th-anniversary celebrations ahead of the 2023 season. A new video featuring some of the biggest names in the sport proudly celebrated the WTA's Golden Jubilee.
The video fittingly begins with Billie Jean King, who founded the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) back in 1973. Shortly before the 1973 Wimbledon Championships, the WTA was formed after a meeting between more than 60 professional tennis players in a London hotel and was led by King, who set out on a path to unite all professional women's tournaments in one tour. The WTA Rankings system was then created in 1974, with Chris Evert becoming the first-ever WTA World No. 1.
The anniversary film further celebrates some of the biggest names in WTA history and mainly their achievements, including the likes of Iga Swiatek, Osaka, the Williams sisters, Evert, Navratilova, Maria Sharapova, Ashleigh Barty, and many more. It also highlights some of the most special moments in the WTA's 50-year history and the legacy left behind by the leaders of women's tennis.
"Look at what we've achieved in the last 50 years at the WTA. We broke boundaries, we blazed our own trail," the video narrates, before adding, "50 years of empowering each other...Wins that made us gasp, losses that made us cry. Battles that had us on the edge of our seats. Rivalries that gripped the world, inspiring the next generation."
"So where does our story go from here? Well, it’s ours to write!" it further said on an inspiring parting note.
Iga Swiatek and Ons Jabeur lead the field into its 50th year on the WTA tour
Current World No. 1 Iga Swiatek and No. 2 Ons Jabeur will lead the field into a special year on the women's tour and will be the players to beat in 2023. Swiatek won two Grand Slam singles titles in the 2022 season and dominated the tour with a total of eight titles and has over 11,000 ranking points to her name. Jabeur was the only player other than Swiatek to reach two Grand Slam singles finals in 2022.
Among their biggest competitors are the dynamic American duo of Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula, who are currently the only two female players in the world to occupy the Top-10 spots in both the singles and doubles rankings. Katerina Siniakova currently leads the WTA doubles rankings.
In its Golden Jubilee year, the WTA tour will kickstart the tennis season with a new tournament in association with the ATP, featuring leading male and female stars in a mixed-team tournament. The United Cup starts on Thursday, December 29th.