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The Ziegfeld Ballroom hosted a festival of ladies’ tennis, mixing history and future hopes as the Hologic WTA Tour celebrated its 50th anniversary. Joining past legends, current stars, and rising talents, the event overflowed with music, wistfulness, and a robust feeling of solidarity, mirroring the influential role of women’s tennis. At its center was Billie Jean King, a spearheading figure who reshaped tennis by championing equality. Her words, brimming with motivation, offered direction to the current crop of WTA tennis stars, like the noteworthy Coco Gauff.

As music played and memories of 50 years occupied the room, Billie Jean King ventured onto the stage. With a warm and happy grin, she reflected back on the mind-blowing venture of laying out the WTA Tour in 1973. Her voice held the heaviness of history and the desire for a future of scaling new heights.

King shares an inspiring message for WTA’s next-gen stars like Coco Gauff

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Over 50 years, the Hologic WTA Tour changed women’s tennis significantly. It took female athletes from obscurity to becoming celebrated tennis stars. Billie Jean King’s faithful push for equal chances and pay transformed the WTA Tour into a stage for sustaining dreams, cultivating ability, and acknowledging potential. The Ziegfeld Ballroom wasn’t just commemorating the past five decades; it held the commitment of a significantly more promising time to come.

According to WTA Tennis.com, King shared that she was inspired by every single player who has built on this vision since 1973. Her message held specific importance when ladies’ tennis developed into a worldwide peculiarity, with competitors like Gauff catching the hearts of fans around the world. She also added,” and the players of today and tomorrow take the WTA into a future.”

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The tennis veteran shared that events such as these continue to give women the opportunity to compete on a worldwide stage. King explained that women need to be recognized and, most importantly, be paid equally. Now, the torch of empowerment has been handed over. The next-gen WTA stars, driven by the likes of the powerful Coco Gauff, venture onto the court. They carry with them Billie Jean King’s progressive purpose and her enduring message of fairness, affirmation, and opportunity.

King once urged players to actively take an interest in affairs outside of tennis

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King, the visionary behind the WTA, graced the finale of the 2022 French Open. She found the spectacle of two young talents, competing determinedly for the championship truly exhilarating. King also commended the energy and skill showcased by Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff during the match. Post the match, King was queried about the appropriateness of players addressing political matters and whether she would welcome a more active stance from them.

In response, she expressed her appreciation. The tennis veteran had shared that she hopes that both men and women will step up because sports and politics are interconnected.

via Reuters

Referring to Swiatek and Gauff, she further highlighted their involvement in such affairs and their willingness to voice their opinions. Swiatek had consistently shared support for the Ukrainian conflict through her outspokenness. Meanwhile, Gauff had channeled her energy towards the Black Lives Matter movement and advocated for gun law reform in the United States.

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