NEW YORK: It’s time for the lads’s and ladies’s skilled tennis our bodies to merge says former world primary Kim Clijsters, who desires a united entrance within the sport because the Girls’s Tennis Affiliation (WTA) celebrates its 50-year anniversary.
The Belgian’s remarks echo a sentiment lengthy held by the nice Billie Jean King, who pioneered the circuit half a century in the past and can be available at Wimbledon this week to rejoice the WTA’s many years of selling fairness for ladies in sport.
“Would I prefer to see it (ATP/WTA merger)? Yeah I believe it will make the model a lot stronger,” the four-time Grand Slam champion instructed Reuters referring to the lads’s Affiliation of Tennis Professionals physique.
“Loads of instances to the surface world individuals mechanically assume that it’s one organisation. You understand what I imply? Like individuals who do not know a lot about tennis, they are saying, ‘Oh yea, ATP and WTA’, however behind it there’s one unit.’ However that is, you understand, removed from that.”
Clijsters, the honorary president of the Worldwide Tennis Corridor of Fame (ITHF), stated the influence of the WTA can’t be overstated, and counts assembly King and German nice Steffi Graf among the many largest and most pivotal moments of her profession.
The ITHF unveiled a video section celebrating 50 years of the WTA this 12 months known as “TennisWorthy.”
“There’s so many individuals behind the scenes who’re all form of dealing with in the identical course and who need to see this pattern of, you understand, making (ladies’s tennis) go upwards,” stated the 40-year-old Clijsters.
“So long as all of us form of have that mindset and it is not only one one that could make the distinction, it is everyone collectively as a powerful unit, group, I believe that is the one method that we will go to get it to a spot the place mixed occasions are placing the identical quantity of gamers – ladies as males – on heart courts or late night time matches.”
King will return to the Millennium Gloucester Resort, the place the WTA was shaped at a gathering of gamers, on Friday forward of the beginning of the Wimbledon foremost draw subsequent week.
However she has lengthy felt that the 2 sides – ATP and WTA -would be stronger collectively, an argument King reiterated after retired nice Roger Federer resurfaced the concept three years in the past.
“There’s execs and cons to every thing, proper?” stated Clijsters.
“There have been many, many, many conversations about doing that. And also you form of all the time bump right into a wall the place, you understand, not a lot occurs and it stays with conversations. And naturally, I wish to see, you understand, there being one organisation.”
The Belgian’s remarks echo a sentiment lengthy held by the nice Billie Jean King, who pioneered the circuit half a century in the past and can be available at Wimbledon this week to rejoice the WTA’s many years of selling fairness for ladies in sport.
“Would I prefer to see it (ATP/WTA merger)? Yeah I believe it will make the model a lot stronger,” the four-time Grand Slam champion instructed Reuters referring to the lads’s Affiliation of Tennis Professionals physique.
“Loads of instances to the surface world individuals mechanically assume that it’s one organisation. You understand what I imply? Like individuals who do not know a lot about tennis, they are saying, ‘Oh yea, ATP and WTA’, however behind it there’s one unit.’ However that is, you understand, removed from that.”
Clijsters, the honorary president of the Worldwide Tennis Corridor of Fame (ITHF), stated the influence of the WTA can’t be overstated, and counts assembly King and German nice Steffi Graf among the many largest and most pivotal moments of her profession.
The ITHF unveiled a video section celebrating 50 years of the WTA this 12 months known as “TennisWorthy.”
“There’s so many individuals behind the scenes who’re all form of dealing with in the identical course and who need to see this pattern of, you understand, making (ladies’s tennis) go upwards,” stated the 40-year-old Clijsters.
“So long as all of us form of have that mindset and it is not only one one that could make the distinction, it is everyone collectively as a powerful unit, group, I believe that is the one method that we will go to get it to a spot the place mixed occasions are placing the identical quantity of gamers – ladies as males – on heart courts or late night time matches.”
King will return to the Millennium Gloucester Resort, the place the WTA was shaped at a gathering of gamers, on Friday forward of the beginning of the Wimbledon foremost draw subsequent week.
However she has lengthy felt that the 2 sides – ATP and WTA -would be stronger collectively, an argument King reiterated after retired nice Roger Federer resurfaced the concept three years in the past.
“There’s execs and cons to every thing, proper?” stated Clijsters.
“There have been many, many, many conversations about doing that. And also you form of all the time bump right into a wall the place, you understand, not a lot occurs and it stays with conversations. And naturally, I wish to see, you understand, there being one organisation.”
