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The Organizational Dynamics of the “Original Nine”

The tennis world very recently marked the 50 year anniversary of the “Original Nine” that signed $1 contracts that formed the basis of the women’s professional tennis tour. That seismic event does not occur without the visionary leadership and organizational savvy of Gladys Heldman. In the words of Billie Jean King, “Without Gladys Heldman, there wouldn’t be women’s professional tennis.”