Which American player founded the Women's Tennis Association in 1973?

The American player who founded the Women’s Tennis Association in 1973 was Billie Jean King.

King helped establish the WTA at a meeting in London shortly before the 1973 Wimbledon Championships. She became its first president, and the organization gave women professionals a unified body to represent their interests, organize tournaments, and develop rankings and commercial opportunities.

The association grew from the activism of the Original 9, a group of players who challenged unequal treatment and prize money. Their efforts traced back to the 1970 Houston Women’s Invitation, organized with the help of publisher Gladys Heldman and sponsor Joe Cullman. The WTA’s formation also followed the creation of the men’s Association of Tennis Professionals in 1972.

King was not the only important figure in the movement, but she is the accepted founder named in the question. She later became a central figure in the push for equal pay, including the 1973 US Open’s landmark decision to offer equal men’s and women’s singles prize money.