The year 1970 was a turning point in women’s tennis history. The official tour of professional women’s tennis players came into existence when the Original 9—Peaches Bartkowicz, Rosie Casals, Judy Dalton, Julie Heldman, Billie Jean King, Kristy Pigeon, Kerry Melville, Nancy Richey and Valerie Ziegenfuss—collectively signed a $1 contract. The movement was led by none other than Billie Jean King, who was the pioneer for women’s rights in tennis. Three years later, this movement led to the foundation of the WTA, and women’s tennis has been on the rise ever since. With the professional women’s tennis tour completing 55 years of its inception, Chris Evert celebrated this occasion in a special way.

Evert took to her official Instagram handle and shared a glimpse of the Original 9, with a me

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