A strong player on the tennis court and a fighter for women's rights, Rosemary Casals made great strides for women in the world of professional tennis. After being introduced to tennis by her great-uncle, she realized that she had a natural ability for the sport, despite only being five-foot two-inches tall. Without any professional coaching, she began participating in tennis tournaments, breaking barriers at country clubs with her Salvadorian background and wildly colored outfits. In 1967, Casals won the doubles tournament at Wimbledon and continued to win numerous other tournaments throughout her career. She fought for women's monetary prizes to be equal to men's and also for women to have more media coverage. After undergoing knee surgery in 1978, she became the president of Sportswomen, Inc.

 

 

Works Cited:

• Article is excerpted from the NWHM Fall 2006 Newsletter
  
• Image from The Quicksand Foundation
  

 

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