Two months ago marked the full 50 years since the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) came to life and a befitting celebration finally took place in New York last night.
Ahead of the 2023 US Open, the past and the present were all in attendance. Billie Jean King - one of the trailblazers of the breakaway tour and an advocate of gender equality, walked on the stage to ruptures applause along with the rest of the 14 founding members who signed up to form the WTA Tour in June 1973.
Speaking at the Ziegfeld Ballroom, King lauded the efforts of the current roster in building on the vision from half a century ago, as women's tennis continues to take significant strides in achieving pay parity with the men. Those efforts are certainly going to be rewarded as the WTA revealed the pathway to do that by 2027.
"I'm inspired by every single player who has built on this vision that brought us together in 1973, and the players of today and tomorrow take the WTA into a future that continues to give women the opportunity to compete on a worldwide stage, be recognized and, most importantly, be paid equally."
American Coco Gauff was among the current active players in attendance. Gauff spoke candidly when she was invited to the stage, appreciative of the foundation laid upon by the most heroic sportswomen. Gauff notes that current players have taken that mantle to build on the legacy of their predecessors.
Gauff credited King and Venus Williams for using their status to give women a voice in matters related to equal pay. At the same time, Gauff also states that Serena Williams' dominance in the sport paved the pathway for her to realize her dream - regardless of her background or color, she could follow her own path.
"Because Billie Jean King and Venus Williams used their superpowers to fight for pay equality, we are closer to a sports world that respects and rewards men and women equally. In Serena Williams, I watched someone dominate women's tennis in a way no one else ever had. More importantly, I saw someone who looked like me and helped me believe I could achieve as I followed my own unique path."
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