Big dreams, time to take risks and bridging the gender pay gap – The Women's Tennis Association at 50

As the Women’s Tennis Association, the WTA, celebrates its golden jubilee this year, Indian icon Sania Mirza chuckles when she realises she’s been around for 20 of those 50 years that have passed since the tour was founded by Billie Jean King. “I think tennis has really made me who I am.

It's not just in terms of what it made me on the outside but also what it made me on the inside, the person I am,” Mirza said in Dubai last month, where she officially retired from the sport, drawing the curtain on a trailblazing two-decade career. Ad When King established the WTA in 1973, she built it on the principle of equal opportunity.

She hoped that any player, from anywhere in the world, if she was good enough, would have a place to compete on the WTA tour. WTA DubaiSwiatek turns over Gauff in Dubai to clinch spot in final, will face Pegula or Krejcikova24/02/2023 AT 15:06 Mirza, a pioneer for Indian women in world sport, is one of many prime examples that personified King’s vision for the WTA.

The 36-year-old Hyderabadi shattered stereotypes, broke gender barriers, and carved a path for herself in women’s tennis, which led her to the top-30 in singles and the summit of the rankings in doubles. “I think on a larger scale (my career in tennis) made people (in India) believe that you can — in a sport like tennis — earn a living and be very successful, earn a name, and do what you love.

I think maybe that belief was missing about 15, 20 years ago,” said Mirza, a six-time Grand Slam champion in doubles and mixed doubles. “Whatever I’ve given to tennis the past 20 years, it's also given me back twofold.” IWD: 'They transcend their sports now' — Evert hails women's sport 'icons' 'A shame we still have inequality in sport' — Kenny on IWD