Pro Media & News

U.S. legends featured in Billie Jean King Cup Finals photo exhibit

Victoria Chiesa | November 08, 2022


GLASGOW, Scotland -- Those strolling down Glasgow’s famed Argyle Street this week have a chance to see some of the most famous faces of U.S. and global women’s tennis come to life.

 

The past and present of the sport meet in “She Rallies: Women’s Tennis is Focus,” a pop-up photo exhibit that chronicles women’s tennis through the ages is taking center stage on one of the city’s main thoroughfares during this week’s Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Finals. Presented through a partnership between the LTA—the national governing body for tennis in Great Britain—and Getty Images, the exhibit launched on Nov. 1 and will run throughout the duration of the Finals from Nov. 8-13.

The exhibit features black-and-white photos from the sport’s earliest days all the way through snapshots of stars of the present—all in an effort to chronicle how far women’s tennis has come, and how far it can still go.

 

“Our 'She Rallies' ambition is to inspire women and girls into the sport through increased and better female representation, driving greater visibility of women’s tennis reflective of its status as a leading women’s sport,” LTA chief operating officer Julie Porter said.

 

"Getty Images was a natural partner in this project, building on our longstanding relationship and the work they have been undertaking in raising the profile of authentic and inclusive representation of women in sport.”

 

U.S. tennis fans will no doubt recognize several of the iconic photographs on display. American game-changers featured in the exhibit include Althea Gibson, Billie Jean King, Monica Seles, and Serena and Venus Williams. 

Gibson’s historic Wimbledon triumph—where she became the first Black player to win a Grand Slam tournament in 1956—is among the moments featured, as is King’s victory over Bobby Riggs in the famed ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match of 1973. A candid snapshot of the Williams sisters as young girls is also on display, as are snapshots of Serena Williams signing autographs for legions of fans at the Australian Open, and an action shot from her 2018 return from maternity leave at Roland Garros. 

 

Visitors to the exhibit are also prompted to learn more about “She Rallies," and the stories chronicled within the exhibit, by scanning a QR code on their mobile devices. “She Rallies” is the LTA’s official campaign for gender equity in tennis in Great Britain and beyond, and the exhibit was installed with the support of the Glasgow City Council.

 

Bailie Annette Christie, chair of Glasgow Life, a charity which, as per its website, “delivers cultural, sporting and learning activities” on the city’s behalf, added: “Hosting the ‘World Cup’ of women’s tennis has the power to encourage more women and girls to get involved in sport, and the potential to improve participation at grassroots level and change lives forever.”

 

Tennis Channel will provide complete live coverage of the Billie Jean King Cup Finals from Nov. 8-13. The U.S. is guaranteed two round-robin matches. The Americans will play Poland on Nov. 9, not before 11 a.m. ET; and the Czech Republic on Nov. 11, not before 11:30 a.m. ET. 

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