Gladys Heldman's guest appearances

Gladys Heldman

WTA Insider Podcast

Steve Simon

Billie Jean King

Martina Navratilova

Bianca Andreescu

Darren Cahill

Simona Halep

Sam Stosur

Belinda Bencic

Sloane Stephens

Martina Hingis

Jo Konta

Elina Svitolina

Karolina Pliskova

Andrew Bettles

Victoria Azarenka

OwlTail

On this episode we continue our series on the 50th anniversary of the Original 9, who came together on September 23rd in 1970 to sign a one dollar contract with promoter and World Tennis Magazine founder Gladys Heldman to form the first women's professional tour, a precursor to the WTA which would be formed three years later in 1973. Today, thanks to our friends at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, we are excited to share a wonderful radio interview with Gladys Heldman herself, which was done during her induction to the Hall of Fame in 1979. As Billie Jean King has said, “Without Gladys Heldman, there wouldn't be women's professional tennis. She was a passionate advocate for women tennis players and, as the driving force behind the start of the Virginia Slims Tour in 1970, she helped change the face of women's sports."

On this episode we continue our series on the 50th anniversary of the Original 9, who came together on September 23rd in 1970 to sign a one dollar contract with promoter and World Tennis Magazine founder Gladys Heldman to form the first women's professional tour, a precursor to the WTA which would be formed three years later in 1973. Today, thanks to our friends at the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, we are excited to share a wonderful radio interview with Gladys Heldman herself, which was done during her induction to the Hall of Fame in 1979. As Billie Jean King has said, “Without Gladys Heldman, there wouldn't be women's professional tennis. She was a passionate advocate for women tennis players and, as the driving force behind the start of the Virginia Slims Tour in 1970, she helped change the face of women's sports."

Original 9: Gladys Heldman