Tennis News

Anderson Returns To The Winners' Circle In Newport

It has been a tough year for World No. 113 Kevin Anderson, who began this week with a 5-6 tour-level record on the season. But the South African, who is battling back from injuries, bounced back in impressive fashion at the Hall of Fame Open, where he defeated #NextGenATP American Jenson Brooksby 7-6(8), 6-4 on Sunday after two hours and 11 minutes to win his sixth ATP Tour title.

This is the former World No. 5’s first tour-level triumph since Pune in 2019. Anderson is the first South African to triumph in Newport since Neville Godwin in 2001.

“It’s been a pretty tough run with some injuries. But to be back here at the International Tennis Hall of Fame with such history, this couldn’t be a better week for me to start, hopefully, my comeback,” Anderson said during the trophy ceremony. “I’m very motivated to get back. But it all starts with each match, and I was able to really grind it out.”

The margins were thin in the first set, with neither man dropping serve. Each had opportunities, but they played well under pressure to stave off their opponent. Despite eighth-seeded Anderson having more firepower in all facets of the game, Brooksby did well to take the ball early when possible to put the 6’8” right-hander on the back foot and avoid defending too much. The 20-year-old also hit a handful of sensational passing shots to earn the crowd’s approval.

The key to the match was the first-set tie-break. Brooksby littered the highlight reel — including a perfect forehand drop volley and a laser-like forehand winner — and urged his home crowd to get behind him. But he missed a backhand return on his first set point at 6/5 and Anderson pummeled a short forehand to save a second set point at 7/8, before eventually taking the 77-minute opener with a screaming backhand return winner up the line.

After dropping that pivotal tie-break, Brooksby, who has proven himself a fierce competitor this week, let slip his focus for just a moment. That period was long enough for Anderson to earn the lone service break of the match in the opening game of the second set.

From there, the World No. 113 rode his dominant serve to the victory, striking 16 aces and winning all 11 of his service games. 

Anderson, a wild card, made his only previous appearance on the Newport grass in 2008, when he was a 22-year-old ranked World No. 115. Since then, he has reached two major finals and competed at the Nitto ATP Finals in 2018.

“Thanks to the tournament for giving me a wild card. It definitely worked out for me,” Anderson said. “The last time I was here was in 2008. It’s significant in a way. I was just starting my career, and I guess I’m towards the end, but definitely [am] very motivated to keep going.”

Brooksby was the second-youngest finalist in this tournament’s 45-year history, and he was trying to lift the trophy on his ATP Tour main draw debut. It has been a breakthrough season for the Californian, who is 32-6 at all levels.

“It’s amazing to get all the support from you guys, it gives me energy,” Brooksby said. “It was awesome playing here and I hope to be back again and pushing for more of these results.”

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Scouting Report: Shapovalov Leads Gstaad Field; Action In Los Cabos and Umag

There will be three ATP 250 events this week in Gstaad, Los Cabos, and Umag, with future and established stars aiming to make their mark.

Denis Shapovalov leads the field at the Swiss Open Gstaad, Cameron Norrie will look to continue his career-best season at the Mifel Open in Los Cabos and #NextGenATP star Carlos Alcaraz is pursuing a maiden tour-level title at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag.

ATPTour.com looks at what you should watch at these three events.

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FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN GSTAAD
1) Super Shapovalov: Canadian Shapovalov will compete in Switzerland off the back of a strong grass-court season, during which he made his first Grand Slam semi-final at Wimbledon. The 22-year-old is making his debut in Gstaad, where he is the top seed. Shapovalov will begin his run against wild card Johan Nikles or qualifier Vit Kopriva.

2) Bautista Agut Back For More: Former finalist Roberto Bautista Agut returns to Gstaad seeking to go one step further and win a 10th tour-level title. The Spaniard, who lost to Matteo Berrettini in the 2018 championship match, is the second seed at the ATP 250 tournament. He will face wild card Dominic Stephan Stricker or Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech in the second round.

3) Garin & Ruud In Action: Cristian Garin (5) and Casper Ruud (3) have won eight ATP Tour titles between them, and all of those victories have come on clay. This March, Garin lifted the Santiago title, while Ruud has claimed crowns in Geneva and Bastad. Both will look to add another title to their collection in Gstaad.

4) Dangerous Delbonis: Argentine Federico Delbonis enters the ATP 250 tournament high on confidence, having recorded 22 tour-level wins on clay this year. The 30-year-old has reached the semi-finals in Belgrade, Santiago and Hamburg in 2021. He also advanced to the fourth round at Roland Garros, which was his best-ever Grand Slam performance.

5) Lopez Loves Gstaad: The 39-year-old Feliciano Lopez will be competing in Gstaad for the 13th time. The Spaniard won the title in 2016 and also reached the final in 2006. He is the eighth seed and begins against Marc-Andrea Huesler.

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN LOS CABOS
1) Norrie To Continue Success? Great Britain’s Norrie will aim to continue his best-ever season in Los Cabos. The 25-year is in the Top 15 in the FedEx ATP Race To Turin, having reached tour-level finals in Estoril, Lyon and at The Queen’s Club. The lefty has won 31 tour-level matches this season and is the top seed in Mexico, where he will try to lift his first ATP Tour trophy. Norrie will play Sweden’s Elias Ymer or a qualifier in his opener.

2) Isner Second Seed: John Isner is making his debut at the ATP 250 event in what is his seventh tour-level event of the season. The 36-year-old is a 15-time ATP Tour titlist, and he will try to secure his first crown since Newport in 2019. The American will face Evgeny Donskoy or Jason Jung in the second round.

3) Fritz’s Remarkable Return: Taylor Fritz made an incredible recovery to feature at Wimbledon earlier this month. The American underwent knee surgery after being taken off court at Roland Garros in a wheelchair, and returned three weeks later. Fritz, who reached the third round at the All England Club, will return to action in Los Cabos, where he advanced to the final in 2019.

4) Former Champion Querrey: American Sam Querrey returns to Los Cabos having tasted success in Mexico before. The American toppled Thanasi Kokkinakis in the 2017 final to clinch his 10th ATP Tour title. Querrey, who reached the final on grass in Mallorca in June, will attempt to find his best form in Mexico. The fourth seed opens against one of two countrymen: Brandon Nakashima or J.J. Wolf.

5) Thompson’s Debut: Australian Jordan Thompson will make his tournament debut in Los Cabos. The 27-year-old carries momentum from his run to the semi-finals in Newport, where he fell short against American Jenson Brooksby. Thompson will begin his campaign against 42-year-old Ivo Karlovic, who received a wild card.

FIVE THINGS TO WATCH IN UMAG
1) Rising Alcaraz: #NextGenATP star Alcaraz has gone from strength to strength in the past year. He broke into the Top 100 in the FedEx ATP Rankings after he became one of just seven players to win four ATP Challenger Tour trophies at 18 or under. The Spaniard, who reached a tour-level semi-final this April in Marbella, will look to claim a maiden tour-level title in Croatia. He will face a stiff opening challenge against former Top 10 star Lucas Pouille.

2) Reigning Champion Lajovic: Dusan Lajovic has fond memories of playing at the Plava Laguna Croatia Open Umag. The Serbian defeated Attila Balazs there in 2019 to claim his maiden ATP Tour title. The reigning champion is the second seed in Umag, where he has played in qualifying and the main draw nine times. Lajovic will open against Pablo Cuevas or Bernabe Zapata Miralles.

The official player acceptance list is out! Check out our web page: https://t.co/KAVgw8e298 pic.twitter.com/1BXIyaNHdB

— Croatia Open Umag (@CroatiaOpenUmag) June 25, 2021

3) Can Ramos-Vinolas Bounce Back? Top seed Albert Ramos-Vinolas won his third ATP Tour title on clay in Estoril in May. The 33-year-old has run into a tough patch since, losing seven consecutive matches leading into Umag. But the former World No. 17 has won 165 tour-level matches on clay in his career. The other seeded player in his quarter of the draw is sixth seed Jaume Munar.

4) Krajinovic Finding Form: Filip Krajinovic recorded the third Top 10 win of his career when he defeated World No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas at the Hamburg European Open last week. The Serbian advanced to his first final of the season in Germany, and he will compete in Umag with plenty of confidence. The third seed will play Radu Albot or Holger Vitus Nodskov Rune in the second round.

5) Brkic/Cacic Top Seeds: The top seeds in the doubles draw are Tomislav Brkic and Nikola Cacic, who won their first ATP Tour title together earlier this year in Buenos Aires. The second seeds are Pablo Cuevas and Fabrice Martin, and another team to watch is Ivan Sabanov and Matej Sabanov, who triumphed in Belgrade.

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Blumberg/Sock Claim Newport Title

American pair William Blumberg and Jack Sock overcame Austin Krajicek and Vasek Pospisil 6-2, 7-6(3) on Sunday in Newport to capture the Hall of Fame Open doubles trophy in their team debut week together.

Blumberg and Sock dropped just one set en route to the title and they dominated for large parts in the championship match against the American-Canadian tandem. They served well, winning 77 per cent (27/35) of their first-service points to record victory in 82 minutes.

”It means a lot,” Sock said. “It has been an unfortunate two years, 2019 with the thumb surgery and then with Covid hitting, it has been an interesting couple of years. A lot of time to reflect and regroup. I feel better physically and mentally and am very excited to be back on tour, winning matches.

“My confidence is high right now. Not many people believed in me a couple of years ago. Hopefully it is just the beginning of the second half of my career.”

Blumberg added: “It is an honour to play with Jack and in front of my family, so that especially was just awesome. On top of that, to get a win, it has just been a great week.”

It was Sock’s first tour-level doubles title since 2018, when he won the Nitto ATP Finals (w/M. Bryan) in London. The American now holds a 15-10 record in tour-level doubles finals. He claimed the 2014 Wimbledon crown with Pospisil (d. Bryan/Bryan) in their first event as a team.

“We [Pospesil and I] had an incredible start to our partnership together, with Wimbledon. We had a lot of incredible moments on court together. It is definitely different playing against him, but it is always fun.”

Blumberg was competing in just his second tour-level doubles event this week, having played at the 2017 US Open with Spencer Papa.

Blumberg and Sock broke in the opening game as they moved into a 2-0 lead. They returned with good depth throughout the first set and closed the net effectively to move ahead. With momentum in their favour, they seemed to be marching towards victory after an early break in the second set.

However, Krajicek and Pospisil started to step inside the baseline on return and crucially broke to level at 3-3 when Sock netted a forehand. They then recovered from 0/40 in the 11th game as the set moved to a tie-break. Blumberg and Sock were too strong from there, though, sealing victory when Blumberg hammered a volley through Pospisil.

Krajicek and Pospisil were also competing together for the first time this week. Krajicek now holds a 4-6 record in tour-level finals with Pospisil at 7-8.

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Tokyo Olympics: Liam Broady selected for Team GB

Great Britain’s Liam Broady will make his Olympics debut in the men’s singles event at Tokyo 2020.

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Ruud Beats Coria For Bastad Crown

Top seed Casper Ruud ended his dominant week in Bastad by overcoming Federico Coria 6-3, 6-3 in the Nordea Open final on Sunday to capture his third ATP Tour title.

Ruud hugged the baseline throughout the match, dictating play on his forehand as he secured victory in one hour and 28 minutes. It is the second title he has claimed this year, having captured the Gonet Geneva Open title (d. Shapovalov) in May. He is now 3-2 in ATP Tour finals, having also won the Buenos Aires trophy on clay (d. P. Sousa) last year.

“It was an incredible week, maybe the best week of my life,” Ruud said. “It is an incredible feeling playing here in Bastad with the Swedish, Norwegian and Danish support. There is nothing like that home crowd feeling.

“To win here means a lot. You get a little extra nervous as the No. 1 seed. Me and my father [former World No. 39 Christian Ruud] have been joking about when I am going to beat him at this and this, and now I think I have beaten him in everything! The Ruud family can finally bring the trophy home to Norway. It is a special feeling having him here with me.”

With the 250 FedEx ATP Ranking points Ruud earned this week, he has risen to 10th place in the ATP Race To Turin. The 22-year-old now has 1,770 points, just 15 behind ninth-placed Russian Aslan Karatsev.

The Norwegian did not drop a set all week in Sweden and started well in the final, hitting with heavy topspin and great depth as he forced Coria behind the baseline. Ruud dominated with his powerful forehand and maintained consistency on the backhand in the first set to move ahead.

Ruud continued to apply pressure on Coria in the second set. He returned well, winning 50 per cent of points on Coria’s first serve as he broke in the fifth game to lead 3-2. The 22-year-old continued to cover every inch of the court and claimed victory when he fired a forehand winner past the World No. 77.

Coria was competing in his first tour-level final on Sunday. The Argentine’s previous best result was a run to the semi-finals at the Cordoba Open (l. to Cerundolo) in February.

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Carreno Busta Earns First ATP 500 Trophy In Hamburg

Second seed Pablo Carreno Busta captured his first ATP 500 trophy and sixth tour-level title on Sunday as he overcame Filip Krajinovic 6-2, 6-4 in the Hamburg European Open final.

The Spaniard, who also won the AnyTech365 Andalucia Open in Marbella (d. Munar) on home soil in April, did not drop a set in Hamburg. He produced a dominant display in the championship match as he won 81 per cent (21/26) of his first-service points and broke Krajinovic three times.

Carreno Busta has now recorded 17 clay-court wins this season, having also enjoyed runs to the semi-finals at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell (l. to Nadal) and the Mallorca Championships (l. to Medvedev). He has bounced back strongly this week after losing to Sam Querrey in the first round at Wimbledon last month.

Carreno Busta made a strong start, as he stepped inside the baseline to move the Serbian from side to side as he dictated play in the first set as the Spaniard broke twice and hit 17 winners with his powerful groundstrokes. He moved ahead when Krajinovic hit a forehand long.

The match followed a similar pattern in the second set, as Krajinovic was pegged behind the baseline. The sixth seed struggled to use the drop shot as effectively as he had in the previous rounds as Carreno Busta broke again. He held serve to seal victory in 83 minutes.

Sixth seed Krajinovic was competing in his fourth ATP Tour final on Sunday and first since reaching the championship match at the Stockholm Open in 2019. He equalled his career-best victory this week as he shocked World No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarter-finals, but is now 0-4 in tour-level finals.

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Arends/Pel Clinch Bastad Doubles Title

Dutch Duo Sander Arends and David Pel clinched their first ATP Tour title on Sunday as they defeated Albano Olivetti and Andre Begemann 6-4, 6-2 in the Nordea Open doubles final.

Arends and Pel were competing in their second tour-level final of the season having reached the championship match at the Open 13 Provence (l. to Glasspool/Heliovaara) in Marseille in March. They struck three aces and won 85 per cent (23/27) of their first-service points to record victory in 66 minutes. The duo have previously captured 28 ATP Challenger Tour trophies between them, with this their first at tour-level.

The Dutch pair started well in Bastad, breaking to move 3-1 ahead as they won 50 per cent (5/10) of points on their opponents’ second serve in the first set. Arends and Pel then saved both break points they faced in the 10th game to capture the opener.

They continued to dominate in the second set, closing the net with great effect to move 5-0 ahead. Despite being pegged back to 5-2, they closed out the victory on serve to clinch the title.

Olivetti and Begemann were competing together as a team for the first time in Sweden this week, and upset top seeds Andres Molteni and Andrea Vavassori on their way to a maiden tour-level final.

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Puetz/Venus Capture Hamburg Doubles Title

Second seeds Tim Puetz and Michael Venus overcame Kevin Krawietz and Horia Tecau 6-3, 6-7(3), 10-8 on Sunday to claim the doubles title at the Hamburg European Open on Sunday.

The German-New Zeland tandem, who were competing in just their third tournament together this week, broke the top seeds four times and won 67 per cent (31/46) of their first-service points as they battled to victory in one hour and 44 minutes.

Individually, Puetz now holds a 5-0 record in tour-level finals, while Venues stands at 15-14, with his last title coming at the Gonet Geneva Open (w/Peers) in May.

“Thanks to the tournament, it is a great event and I love coming back here,” Venus said. “Thanks to Tim for playing with me. It was a tough one [today], you came back at us and made us not feel so good at the end there.”

Puetz added: “It was only our third tournament together, thank you for hitting that ace there in the tie-break Michael! I am enjoying our time together and I hope for many more.”

After breaking early, Puetz and Venus raced into a 3-1 lead in the first set as they returned with great depth. They then saved the one break point they faced in the set to move ahead.

Puetz and Venus carried this momentum into the second set and looked like they were easing to victory as they marched 5-1 ahead. However, they were pegged back to 5-5, squandering a match point in the 10th game before Krawietz and Tecau claimed the tie-break to level. The second seeds regained their focus in the Match Tie-break though, sealing the title when Krawietz could not stretch enough to make a volley.

Krawietz and Tecau were aiming to capture their second title of the year on German soil, having lifted the trophy in Halle last month. They were competing in their fourth ATP 500 final of the season on Sunday.

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Playing Brooksby? Get Ready For A Battle…

Jenson Brooksby’s game has a bit of funkiness to it, including his two-handed backhand slice. But what stands out most is that the #NextGenATP star is a fighter, and that is what has made him one of the breakthrough players of 2021.

In the semi-finals of the Hall of Fame Open on Saturday, Brooksby trailed experienced Aussie Jordan Thompson by a break in the second set, and later faced two set points at 5-6, which would have forced a decider. A dense fog was floating through the Newport air, and seagulls chirped above the scene. Against a gritty opponent like Thompson, who is a workhorse himself, it would have been easy for Brooksby to lose focus.

But instead, he flew around the baseline to claw through points and pumped his fist with the occasional roar. Brooksby stormed back in the second set and triumphed 6-3, 7-6(3) to reach his first ATP Tour final in his first professional tournament on grass. Efforts like that have been the story of the season for the 20-year-old, who is 32-5 in 2021 across all levels.

“I love competing more than anything and the rush of being able to play each match,” Brooksby told ATPTour.com. “I’m happy with how it’s been going. It’ll only keep getting better, I think.”

Brooksby rises to the competitive occasion regardless of the setting, though. Give him a deck of cards or a ping pong paddle, and it’s on!

“I compete in a lot of things. Some people find it annoying, but even things like ping pong or even card games I compete in,” Brooksby said, cracking a laugh. “I love competing in general, I have that energy. It comes out on the court, too.”

^{Photo Credit: Ben Solomon/ITHF}
People are starting to take notice, even if this is only Brooksby’s fourth tour-level event. He even began the season outside the Top 300 of the FedEx ATP Rankings.

Former World No, 4 Todd Martin, the CEO of the International Tennis Hall of Fame — home of this week’s grass-court ATP 250 — has been impressed.

“He clearly thrives on competition. A lot about him gives me the impression that he’s a heck of a student,” Martin said. “If your heart is in it at all times, and your head is in it at all times, success isn’t that hard to come by.”

When Brooksby was 12, he began homeschooling and stopped playing other sports. It was all tennis all the time, and he was completely focused on maximising his potential.

“I’ve believed my game and my skills have been good and only improving since then,” Brooksby said. “I know that this is what I’ve wanted to do for a long time. Obviously I’m glad that I’m here doing it, while still enjoying and trying to improve my game.”

Although Brooksby briefly attended Baylor University — where he did not play a match — the American knew his dream was to play professional tennis. How much pressure has that put on him?

“You can’t control what thoughts come to your mind sometimes, but it’s how you handle it,” Brooksby said. “I’m motivated enough to want to be great and do the best I can to where that overlaps any pressure. I love the pressure moments before matches. You get a little more intense and that’s the fun part of it, really. I try to thrive in that.”

As competitive as he is, Brooksby is mellow off court. The three-time ATP Challenger Tour titlist does not mind getting away from that intense atmosphere. The Californian is at home in nature. He enjoys spending time near rivers in Northern Californian cities like Auburn, Folsom and Sacramento.

“All the training and fitness, it takes a lot of focus, which I enjoy,” Brooksby said. “But at the same time, I can bring a better focus and focus consistently if I have some more fun off the court when I can. I feel like that really helps.”

Brooksby is another young ATP Tour star who also enjoys playing the piano, joining the likes of Felix Auger-Aliassime and Ugo Humbert.

“I started playing when I was 10. My dad had played a little bit in the past and then when I was really young, my mom bought a grand piano for him with the hopes that I would get into it, too,” Brooksby said. “It’s really cool, though. I still have some lessons sometimes and it’s just cool being able to sit down and play.”

That is not the only music he enjoys, though. Brooksby loves to listen to rock.

“I get a lot of it from my dad. I love a lot of classics like Tom Petty, John Mayer, The Gorillas, the Arctic Monkeys,” Brooksby said. “I remember I saw one concert with [my dad], Steely Dan. I love music like that. Before matches, I usually listen to faster stuff, but in general I just love that type of rock.”

Brooksby’s game is rocking at the moment. He is the second-youngest finalist in the 45-year history of the Hall of Fame Open (19-year-old Greg Rusedski, 1993). After starting the week seventh in the ATP Race To Milan, the American can further stake his claim to a spot at the Next Gen ATP Finals with a win against former World No. 5 Kevin Anderson in Sunday’s final.

Regardless of the result, it’s safe to say fans will see Brooksby battle until the last point, win or lose.

“I want to be remembered as someone who worked his butt off and just gave everything I can to the sport,” Brooksby said. “I just want to have done the best that I possibly could by the end of my career and have no regrets that I worked as hard as I could and became the best player I could be.”

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Emotional Ivanisevic Inducted Into Hall Of Fame

Goran Ivanisevic delivered an emotional, self-deprecating speech Saturday evening as he became the first Croatian to earn induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

“We are a small country with a huge heart. We never stop believing. I had a lot of ups and downs, and I never stopped believing,” Ivanisevic said. “For the first time in my life, I can say I am proud of myself.”

The former World No. 2 spoke as fans wearing Croatian football jerseys sat sprinkled throughout the Newport crowd. Ivanisevic shared his appreciation for all the fans throughout the world who stayed with him through the highs and lows of a memorable career in which he lifted 22 tour-level trophies.

“It was not easy to be my fan. It was frustrating, it was sad, probably a lot of people got divorced because of me,” Ivanisevic said. “But one thing is for sure: it was entertaining to be my fan.”

The legendary lefty’s crowning achievement was his triumph at The Championships 20 years ago. During that fortnight, he revealed there were three Gorans: Good Goran, Bad Goran and Emergency Goran. Ivanisevic laughed as he mentioned them in his speech.

“To the three Gorans, five Gorans, to every Goran in this world, you guys made me proud,” Ivanisevic said. “We did it our different way, we did it our hard way, but we did it our way. But only I am going in. Guys, you can come and visit, but I am going in. I deserve it.”

Ivanisevic remains the only wild card to win The Championships. World No. 125 at the time, the Croatian has not forgotten the opportunity that tournament organisers gave him.

“I would like to thank the Wimbledon committee for giving me a wild card,” Ivanisevic said. “I don’t know if they did a good job or not, or if they now regret it. But thank you guys, because if you didn’t give me a wild card, I wouldn’t be standing here. I think it was a good decision.”

Former World No. 1 John McEnroe, who inspired Ivanisevic to start tennis, shared a fitting virtual message to introduce the Croatian. The American explained their similarities on the court — in game and mannerisms — while detailing why Ivanisevic is thoroughly deserving of this honour.

“I love Goran Ivanisevic, and I am absolutely thrilled to induct someone into the Hall of Fame who is arguably crazier on the court than I was,” McEnroe said, eliciting a fit of laughter from the crowd. “But here’s the truth: He’s been great for the sport of tennis, certainly has personality. Yes he’s a character, yes he had serious game. He’s lefty, I like that. He’s super-talented.”

Nothing was ever straightforward with Ivanisevic on court, and according to McEnroe, that is why fans grew to adore him.

“He always had me on the edge of my seat because I never knew what was going to happen next, and I’m not sure he did either,” McEnroe said. “But his unpredictability was also partly why we loved him.”

Ivanisevic praised all who were inducted Saturday, including Conchita Martinez, the Original Nine and Dennis Van Der Meer (posthumously). He thanked all his coaches, his wife, his children, but the most emotional moment of the evening was when he turned his focus to his parents, Gorana and Srdjan.

“Mom and Dad, there are not enough thank yous, there are not enough words to say or do for everything that you did for me,” Ivanisevic said. “If I had to go again on this trip, I’d choose you again to be my mom and dad and go together again. I love you, and thank you for everything.”

^{Photo Credit: Kate Whitney Lucey/ITHF}
In addition to Martinez, the 1994 Wimbledon champion, seven members of the Original Nine — Billie Jean King, Rosie Casals, Peaches Bartkowicz, Kristy Pigeon, Kerry Melville Reid, Julie Heldman
and Valerie Ziegenfuss were present for their induction. Judy Tegart Dalton joined via Zoom, and Nancy Richey was also part of the groundbreaking group.

Those nine courageous women stood together against disparities in playing opportunities and prize money to launch women’s professional tennis on 23 September 1970.

“[We] had one vision for the future of women’s tennis,” King said. “We wanted any girl in the world, if she was good enough, to have a place to compete; to be recognised for her accomplishments, not only her looks, and most importantly, to be able to make a living playing professional tennis. Today’s women professional tennis players on the WTA Tour are living our dreams.”

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