Gladys Medalie Heldman (May 13, 1922 – June 22, 2003) was the founder of World Tennis magazine; she supported Billie Jean King and other female tennis players who formed the Virginia Slims Tour in the early 1970s (the precursor of today's WTA Tour). She is a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame and the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. Heldman, the daughter of New York Court of Appeals judge George Z.

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  • Gladys Medalie Heldman (May 13, 1922 – June 22, 2003) was the founder of World Tennis magazine; she supported Billie Jean King and other female tennis players who formed the Virginia Slims Tour in the early 1970s (the precursor of today's WTA Tour). She is a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame and the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. Heldman, the daughter of New York Court of Appeals judge George Z. Medalie, first became interested in tennis after marrying Julius Heldman, the left-handed United States junior champion in 1936. Gladys started playing tennis after her two daughters were born (her daughters, Carrie Heldman and Julie Heldman, had national junior rankings, and Julie was ranked as high as No. 5 in the world). Originally a New Yorker, Gladys rose to a No. 1 ranking in Texas, as well as No. 2 in the Southwest; she even appeared at Wimbledon in 1954 and also competed in the U.S. Championships at Forest Hills. Gladys Heldman is best known for founding the World Tennis magazine in 1953, and for promoting the women's game during the 1950s and 1960s. She worked with female tennis players to create a separate women's circuit in 1970. Female players felt they were being denied the financial rewards of the men's game. With Gladys' organization, top players including Billie Jean King, Rosie Casals, and her daughter Julie, formed a separate women's tour. With backing from Joe Cullman of Philip Morris, the first participants in the circuit, known as the "Houston Nine," played the first Virginia Slims Circuit tournament in Houston in late 1970. The players accepted $1 contracts from Heldman. The tournament was a success, and although the American players were temporarily suspended by the USTA, the Virginia Slims Circuit became so popular that it eventually merged with the USTA. Heldman sold her magazine to CBS Publications in 1972 and was out of tennis politics by the middle of the 1970s. Heidman was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1979.
  • Gladys Medalie Heldman war die US-amerikanische Gründerin des World Tennis Magazine und des Virginia Slims Circuit, dem Vorläufer der WTA Tour.
  • Gladys Medalie Heldman, amerykańska działaczka i dziennikarka tenisowa. Grą w tenisa zajmowała się dopiero w późniejszym wieku, miała jednak liczne powiązania rodzinne z tym sportem - jej mąż, Julius Heldman, był mistrzem USA juniorów w 1936, a córki, Trixie i Julie, osiągnęły dobry poziom krajowy (Julie także międzynarodowy, dochodząc w 1974 do pozycji nr 5 na świecie). W 1953 założyła, była następnie przez ponad 20 lat właścicielką, autorką i redaktorem naczelnym jednego z najważniejszych pism poświęconych tenisowi - "World Tennis". Pod koniec lat 60. pismo to silnie wsparło dążenie czołowych zawodniczek na świecie do wzrostu zainteresowania rozgrywkami kobiecymi, pozostającymi w cieniu tenisa męskiego. Heldman nakłoniła swojego przyjaciela, Joe Cullmana, kierującego korporacją Philip Morris, do zainwestowania w nowy cykl kobiecych rozgrywek tenisowych; w 1970 odbyły się dwa pierwsze turnieje Virginia Slims Circuit (w Houston i Richmond), od 1971 kolejne. Wśród grupy inicjatywnej zawodniczek były takie sławy, jak Billie Jean King, Rosie Casals, a także córka Heldman, Julie. W połowie lat 70. Gladys Heldman sprzedała pismo "World Tennis" i wycofała się z aktywnej działalności w tenisie. W 1979 jej nazwisko wpisano do Międzynarodowej Tenisowej Hall of Fame.
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  • Gladys Medalie Heldman (May 13, 1922 – June 22, 2003) was the founder of World Tennis magazine; she supported Billie Jean King and other female tennis players who formed the Virginia Slims Tour in the early 1970s (the precursor of today's WTA Tour). She is a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame and the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. Heldman, the daughter of New York Court of Appeals judge George Z.
  • Gladys Medalie Heldman war die US-amerikanische Gründerin des World Tennis Magazine und des Virginia Slims Circuit, dem Vorläufer der WTA Tour.
  • Gladys Medalie Heldman, amerykańska działaczka i dziennikarka tenisowa. Grą w tenisa zajmowała się dopiero w późniejszym wieku, miała jednak liczne powiązania rodzinne z tym sportem - jej mąż, Julius Heldman, był mistrzem USA juniorów w 1936, a córki, Trixie i Julie, osiągnęły dobry poziom krajowy (Julie także międzynarodowy, dochodząc w 1974 do pozycji nr 5 na świecie).
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  • Gladys Heldman
  • Gladys Heldman
  • Gladys Heldman
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