As the women's tennis team played its last match Tuesday, I couldn't help but reminisce on the history of women's tennis. You see, its history is one of struggle for the equality of women, not just in sports, but in other social issues. When I look back at these courageous individuals, these are the women who made it possible for girls to play their hearts out any way they wanted.
First comes Althea Gibson. She was the first African-American to play in major national as well as international tournaments, such as Wimbledon. Think of how much courage she must have had to break this color barrier in the 1950s when racism was so much more prevalent.
Next we have Margaret Court. She was the first woman to truly dominate women's tennis. In 1970, she became the first to win a grand slam.
Then there is the infamous Billie Jean King. Aside from introducing the element of a power game into women's tennis, she is most famous for her widely publicized victory in 1973 over Bobby Riggs. King's contribution was so appreciated that in 1990, Life magazine named her one of the 100 most important Americans of the 20th century. She was the only female out of four athletes named.
Chris Evert arrived on the tennis scene in the 1980s. Although she was at the top of women's tennis for a while, her contribution is also her competition with Martina Navratilova. They showed that men were not the only ones capable of creating enticing, historic rivalries.
Navratilova herself also contributed to the advancement of women through tennis. She was the first player to be openly gay. Although King was gay, Navratilova was much more open about her sexual orientation. She was also the first woman to start wearing shorts instead of skirts at her matches.
In 1988, Steffi Graf became the second woman (and the most recent) to win a grand slam. She proceeded to dive into another historic rivalry with American tennis star Monica Seles, until Seles was stabbed in 1993 by a Graf fanatic.
Mary Carillo took women's advancements beyond just playing tennis. She was the first woman to serve as a commentator for both women's and men's tennis. She has since gone on to cover the NBA Playoffs on TNT.
Now when we think of women power players, we think of the Williams sisters. Venus has the fastest women's serve ever at 128 miles per hour - a speed to rival men's serves. She has taken the power game to a whole new level.
Serena, also a grand-slam tournament champion, has started her own clothing line. She has extended the spectrum of female athletes to the opposite side of Martina Navratilova. Women now can be as girly or as masculine as they want and still be respected as serious athletes. However, one must wonder if they would have gotten their chance it were not for women like Gibson and King.
It is clear that women's tennis has a history filled with struggles, triumphs and undeniable advancements. It is truly a shame that AU will not have the privilege to keep grooming women to contribute to this tradition of excellence.
