On an historic day, the Original 9, Goran Ivanisevic, Conchita Martinez and Dennis van der Meer were inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in a special combined ceremony which celebrated the class of 2020 and 2021.

Ivanisevic, Martinez, Van der Meer’s friend Lucy Garvin and members of the Original 9 all delivered speeches on the famed grounds of the International Tennis Hall of Fame after joining the 257 inductees already immortalised in the sport’s iconic hall.

Over 50 years ago, on September 23 1970, The Original 9 – Peaches Bartkowicz, Rosie Casals, Julie Heldman, Billie Jean King, Kristy Pigeon, Valerie Ziegenfuss, Kerry Melville Reid, Judy Tegart-Dalton and Nancy Richey – began the fight for equality and set in motion the eventual creation of the WTA Tour.

“We wanted any girl in the world, if she was good enough, to have a place to compete and to be recognised for her accomplishments, not only her looks,” said King.

“And most importantly, to be able to make a living playing professional tennis. And today's women's professional tennis players on the WTA Tour are living our dream. Women's tennis is the leader in women's sports.”

Without The Original 9’s united decision to boycott the establishment and start the Virginia Slims Circuit, female players would not have the fame and fortune they do today. To stand together and be inducted into the Hall of Fame together is a historic achievement. The nine women refer to themselves as sisters, friends, teammates, and more.

“We were misfits, troublemakers, rebels, but we were just crazy enough to change the world of tennis,” said Pigeon. “And we tried hard, and sure enough, we changed it. And I'm most proud of our efforts that led not only to a much broader range of opportunities for women players but also for other sportswomen. We certainly all have come a long way, baby.”

What these women have done is empower everyone to continue the battle for equality. They have challenged and pushed each other, the ruling bodies of the sport and the next generation.

“This honour has been 51 years in the making, but it remains exquisitely timely,” said Heldman. “Since 1970, vastly increased numbers of girls and women have participated in sports, and many have excelled.

“And once again, the sound of rebellion is in the air, spearheaded by the women's national soccer team. We're repeated throughout women's sports, echoing our long ago demand to be respected and paid for doing what we did best.

“By honouring The Original 9 today, the International Tennis Hall of Fame is sending a message to female athletes in all sports. The message is: Keep fighting; your time is coming.”

Martínez, a Wimbledon champion in 1994, thanked The Original 9 for making her career achievements possible. She was most thrilled to be surrounded by family and friends and, after her induction ceremony with Ivanisevic was canceled in 2020, the Spaniard arrived in Newport with an entourage.

“I see so many familiar faces,” said Martinez. “This is one thing tennis has given me: beautiful friendships and the opportunity to meet amazing people everywhere I go.”

Martínez was the first Spanish woman to win Wimbledon and she is currently coaching the second to do so, 2017 Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza.

“I am so proud to have been the first Spanish woman to take the title home,” she added. “The memory of playing against, and defeating Martina Navratilova, who was going after her 10th championships at Wimbledon, will stay with me forever.”

Martinez would reach the final of the 1998 Australian Open and 2000 Roland Garros, and win 33 titles, three Olympic doubles medals, and five Billie Jean King Cup trophies. She has coached both the Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup teams.

“But let me tell you, playing for your country in Fed Cup or the Olympics is no walk in the park,” she said. “The responsibility is huge as you feel you're carrying the hopes of your country on your shoulders. Sleep did not come easy, as you can imagine, but yet I felt privileged and proud to represent Spain.”

Ivanisevic also represented his country at the Olympics, winning two bronze medals for Croatia. He would reach No. 2 in the rankings, win nine career titles and, most memorably, become the first wild card and lowest-ranked player to conquer Wimbledon in 2001.

“I had a lot of ups and downs and I never stopped believing,” he said “So for the first time in my life, I can say, I am proud of myself. And two, three Gorans, five Gorans, to every Goran in this world, you guys made me proud. We did it our different way, we did it our hard way, but we did it our way.”

His trademark humor shined through as he thanked everyone from Wimbledon to his wife to his coach and teammates along the way. His supporters also received a shoutout.

“It was not easy to be my fan,” he said. “Wow, it was frustrating, it was sad – probably a lot of people got divorced because of me. But for sure one thing, it was entertaining to be my fan.”

Coach Dennis van der Meer was posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame as a contributor. His wife Pat accepted his model in his honour and his friend Garvin, former president of the USTA, gave a speech.

“Dennis dedicated his life to serving tennis,” Garvin said. “His love of the sport was apparent in everything he did every day. Dennis recognised how important it was to ensure tennis was accessible to all ages, all genders and all economic backgrounds. His love for people was very obvious. And people loved Dennis.”

Van der Meer, known widely as the “teacher of teachers,” coached King and Margaret Court, opened the Van der Meer Academy and founded the Professional Tennis Registry (PTR).

Written by Nina Pantic, for International Tennis Hall of Fame