Gladys Heldman | |
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| Born | (1922-05-13)May 13, 1922 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | June 22, 2003(2003-06-22) (aged 81) Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S. |
| Known for | Founder ofWorld Tennis magazine |
| Spouse | Julius Heldman |
| Children | 2, includingJulie |
| Father | George Z. Medalie |
Gladys Medalie Heldman (May 13, 1922 – June 22, 2003) was an American tennis player, promoter, manager and magazine publisher. She was the founder ofWorld Tennis magazine. As a manager, she supported and representedBillie Jean King and eight other female tennis players:Rosie Casals,Judy Dalton,Julie Heldman,Kerry Melville,Peaches Bartkowicz,Kristy Pigeon,Nancy Richey, andValerie Ziegenfuss. They were called the Houston Nine. She helped form theVirginia Slims Circuit in the early 1970s (the precursor of today'sWTA Tour). She is a member of theInternational Tennis Hall of Fame and theInternational Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.
Heldman, the daughter ofNew York Court of Appeals judgeGeorge Z. Medalie, was born in New York City on May 13, 1922, and first became interested in tennis after marryingJulius Heldman, the United States Junior Champion of 1936. Gladys started playing tennis in 1946 after her two daughters were born. Gladys rose to a No. 1 ranking inTexas, as well as No. 2 in the Southwest; she even appeared atWimbledon in 1954 and also competed in theU.S. Championships atForest Hills. Her daughters, Carrie andJulie Heldman, had National Junior Rankings, and Julie was ranked as high as No. 5 in the World.[citation needed]
She was a graduate ofStanford University and aPhi Beta Kappa. Her two daughters went to Stanford as well. Gladys Heldman died at her home inSanta Fe, New Mexico on June 22, 2003, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after she had been suffering from a terminal heart condition at age 81.[1][2]
Gladys Heldman is best known for foundingWorld 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 received less prize money than their male counterparts, e.g. in 1968, the women's champion received £750, while the men's received £2000.[3] Following the Pacific Southwest Championships's decision in September 1970 to pay male players eight times more money, with Gladys' organization, top players, includingBillie Jean King,Rosie Casals, and her daughter Julie, formed a separate women's tour.[4] With backing fromJoe Cullman ofPhilip Morris, the first participants in the circuit, known as the "Houston Nine," played the firstVirginia Slims Circuit tournament inHouston in late 1970. The players accepted $1 contracts from Heldman. The tournament was a success, and although the American players were temporarily suspended by theUSLTA, the Virginia Slims Circuit became so popular that it eventually merged with the USLTA.[citation needed]
Heldman sold her magazine toCBS Publications in 1975 and was out of tennis politics by the middle 1970s.[citation needed]
Heldman was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1979,[5] Texas Tennis Hall of Fame in 1988,ITA Women's Hall of Fame in 1998,[6] andInternational Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2000.[7]
Sarah Silverman plays Heldman in the 2017 movieBattle of the Sexes.[8]
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