Larry W. King passed away today following an illness.
Larry was one of the unsung heroes in the establishment of women’s professional tennis in the early 1970s.
Larry and I met at Cal State LA, where Larry opened my eyes to feminism. We were married for 22 years and in business together for decades. He was involved behind the scenes when the Original 9 signed our one dollar contracts, and he and I co-owned several tournaments on the Virginia Slims Tour.
He was integral and did much of the important legal work to establish the Women’s Tennis Association and the historic Battle of the Sexes match in 1973; and the Women’s Sports Foundation and womenSports magazine in 1974. He also was a co-founder of World TeamTennis.
Larry’s intelligence, love, commitment and humor helped me navigate my career for more than 20 years.
Ilana, my wife and business partner, and I are deeply saddened by Larry’s passing and we extend our deepest condolences to his wife, Nancy, and their children - our godchildren -Sky (his wife Caroline and daughter Athena) and Katie.
Photo Credit: Cher Traendly Photography