Renée Richards
US tennis player and ophthalmologist / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Renée Richards (born August 19, 1934) is an American ophthalmologist and former tennis player who competed on the professional circuit in the 1970s, and became widely known following male-to-female sex reassignment surgery, when she fought to compete as a woman in the 1976 US Open.[2]
Country (sports) | United States |
---|---|
Born | (1934-08-19) August 19, 1934 (age 89) New York City, US |
Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) [1] |
Turned pro | 1977 |
Retired | 1981 |
Plays | Left-handed |
Singles | |
Career titles | 0 WTA |
Highest ranking | No. 20 (February 1979) |
Grand Slam singles results | |
US Open | 3R (1979) |
Doubles | |
Career titles | 0 WTA |
Grand Slam doubles results | |
US Open | F (1977) |
Mixed doubles | |
Career titles | 0 |
Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
US Open | SF (1979) |
The United States Tennis Association began requiring genetic screening for female players that year. Richards challenged that policy, and the New York Supreme Court ruled in her favor, a landmark case in transgender rights.[3] Among the first professional athletes to transition, she became a spokesperson for transgender people in sports.[4][5][6] After retiring from play, she coached Martina Navratilova to two Wimbledon titles.