NEW YORK – Serena Williams could send a thank-you note to Billie Jean King and eight other players who signed $1 contracts to launch a new women's pro tennis circuit 50 years ago.The bold move by King and her peers, known as the “Original 9,” led to the lucrative prize funds and multimillion-dollar endorsement deals enjoyed by top women today.They were tired of second-class treatment at tournaments.
They'd been squeezed out of events by promoters and were paid substantially less than men.So the Original 9 broke with the tennis establishment and joined promoter Gladys Heldman to form the Virginia Slims circuit.