In this Sept. 23, 1970, photo provided the Houston Library, tennis players hold up $1 bills after signing a contract with World Tennis magazine publisher Gladys Heldman to turn pro and start the Virginia Slims tennis circuit.
The Original 9 will gather by Zoom to celebrate the inaugural Virginia Slims event.
It included the Welsh Open Womenās Championship, the U.S. Eastern Womenās Grass Court Championship and the U.S.
She called it āperfect timingā when tobacco ads were banned on TV in 1971, making a budget available for Philip Morris to sponsor the women's tennis circuit.
Heldman quickly set up the $7,500-purse Virginia Slims Invitational in Houston for the same week as Kramerās event.