Back رابطة محترفات التنس Arabic رابطة ستات التنس ARZ Жаночая тэнісная асацыяцыя Byelorussian Женска тенис асоциация Bulgarian মহিলাদের টেনিস অ্যাসোসিয়েশন Bengali/Bangla Associació de tennis femení Catalan Ženská tenisová asociace Czech WTA Danish Women’s Tennis Association German Ένωση Αντισφαίρισης Γυναικών Greek
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| Sport | Professional tennis |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | WTA |
| Founded | June 1973 |
| Location | St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S. |
| President | Micky Lawler |
| Chairman |  Steve Simon |
| Official website | |
| www | |
| Current season: 2024 WTA Tour | |
The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) is the principal organizing body of women's professional tennis. The association governs the WTA Tour, which is the worldwide professional tennis tour for women, and was founded to create a better future for women's tennis. The WTA's corporate headquarters is in St. Petersburg, Florida, with its European headquarters in London and its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Beijing.[1]
The Women's Tennis Association was founded in June 1973 by Billie Jean King, and traces its origins to the inaugural Virginia Slims tournament, arranged by Gladys Heldman, sponsored by Joe Cullman, CEO of Philip Morris, and held on 23 September 1970 at the Houston Racquet Club in Houston, Texas. Rosie Casals won this first event.
When the Women's Tennis Association was founded, Billie Jean King was one of nine players that comprised the WTA, also referred to as the Original 9, that included Julie Heldman, Valerie Ziegenfuss, Judy Dalton, Kristy Pigeon, Peaches Bartkowicz, Kerry Melville Reid, Nancy Richey, and Rosie Casals.[2] Today, the WTA has more than 2,500 players from nearly 100 countries competing for $146 million in prize money.
- ^ "WTA Press Center". wtatennis.com. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
- ^ "WTA Tour history" (PDF). Women's Tennis Association (WTA). Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 May 2008. Retrieved 12 September 2008.