The Legacy of the Original 9
Published to The Players’ Tribune on August 16, 2015
You don’t reach the top of your sport without standing on the shoulders of those who came before you. As the tennis world starts to gather in New York for the U.S. Open, the final major tournament of the season, most of the media attention is focused on Serena Williams’ quest for a calendar Grand Slam. Should she complete it, it will be a historic event. But it will be partially made possible by the sacrifice and commitment of nine women who played tennis long before Serena was born and paved the way for generations of women to make a living playing professional tennis.