Molla Bjurstedt Mallory, eight times US champion between 1915 and 1926, thought a woman should admit "that she is a woman and adopt a style of tennis play which will call for all the generalship and strength which she can claim. But not for more." Molla was wrong.
Today one would be hard-pressed to see a Williams sister waggle her finger at someone else and say "But not for more now!", or a jacked Jennifer Caprioti lose more blood on the court than Pete Sampras. The credit goes all around.
You can give the credit to Title IX, which, for the past 29 years, has made it illegal for Jeffery to get more playing time than Suzie. You can give credit to Martina Navratalova for issuing "get your weak rear in the gym" papers to Chris Evrett in the early 80's.
Let's not forget the past either. Billie Jean King said as much off the court as she did on it. Never to be forgotten is the proverbial murderer's row of women's rights; Sojurner Truth, Susan B. Anthony, and Elizabeth Cady Staunton.
This new Golden Era of Women's sports goes a lot deeper than just tennis. It's all about encouragement and equal opportunity for all. All of this success in women's tennis and women's sports in general for that matter, would not have come about if not for some drastic change in American's sociopolitical attitude.
Here in America we have hit a Golden era in women's sports. It's the G.A. in Women's soccer, women's basketball, women's ice hockey, women's track, women's figure skating, women's everything. Even women's bobsledding, a sport in which this year's women's Olympic team beat their competition like a baby seal, is in it's golden era.
I'm not even talking about your TV ratings. I'm talking about talent and competition. There's never been a time when women's sports were this good. There's never been a time that could even come close.
Wills-Lenglen was a great rivalry, and KingMargaret Court was a great rivalry t
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