Ilana Kloss
Encyclopedia
Ilana Sheryl Kloss is a former professional tennis player and the commissioner of World Team Tennis
.
juniors singles title. In 1974 she won U.S. Open
juniors singles title, and was the youngest player ever to be ranked # 1 in South Africa.
Kloss was ranked # 1 in the world in doubles in 1976. That year, she won doubles titles at the U.S. Open, the Italian Open
, the U.S. Clay Courts, the German Open
, the British Hard Courts Championship, and Hilton Head, as well as the mixed doubles title at the French Open.
She was ranked as high as # 19 in the world in singles play in 1976.
In 1977 she won both the German and Canadian championships, and the British clay court championship. In 1973, she won the title in Cincinnati
with Pat Walkden, defeating Evonne Goolagong
and Janet Young in the final.
Most of her women's doubles titles were achieved with partner Linky Boshoff
.
After retiring, Kloss took part in the 35-and-over tour, winning the U.S. Open doubles and mixed doubles championship in 1999.
in Israel
.
Kloss is the life partner of Billie Jean King
, the US tennis player. She currently resides near the Museum of Natural History
in New York City
.
World Team Tennis
World TeamTennis is a coed professional tennis league played with a unique team format in the United States. Each match consists of five sets. Each set features a different configuration . Coaches, before the match, decide the order in which the sets will be played...
.
Tennis career
Kloss was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. Before turning professional, in 1972 she won the WimbledonThe Championships, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
juniors singles title. In 1974 she won U.S. Open
U.S. Open (tennis)
The US Open, formally the United States Open Tennis Championships, is a hardcourt tennis tournament which is the modern iteration of one of the oldest tennis championships in the world, the U.S. National Championship, which for men's singles was first contested in 1881...
juniors singles title, and was the youngest player ever to be ranked # 1 in South Africa.
Kloss was ranked # 1 in the world in doubles in 1976. That year, she won doubles titles at the U.S. Open, the Italian Open
Rome Masters
The Italian Open is an annual tennis tournament held in Rome, Italy. It is the most prestigious red clay tennis tournament in the world after the French Open, with the men's competition being an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour, and the women's...
, the U.S. Clay Courts, the German Open
Hamburg Masters
The German Open Hamburg, established in 1892, is an annual tennis tournament for male professional players held in Hamburg, Germany and part of the Association of Tennis Professionals Tour. Originally a Grand Prix Tennis Tour event between 1978 and 1989 it was part of the Grand Prix Championship...
, the British Hard Courts Championship, and Hilton Head, as well as the mixed doubles title at the French Open.
She was ranked as high as # 19 in the world in singles play in 1976.
In 1977 she won both the German and Canadian championships, and the British clay court championship. In 1973, she won the title in Cincinnati
Cincinnati Masters
The Cincinnati Open is an annual outdoor hardcourts tennis event held in the Cincinnati suburb of Mason, Ohio, USA. The event started on September 18, 1899 and is the oldest tennis tournament in the United States played in its original city., Between...
with Pat Walkden, defeating Evonne Goolagong
Evonne Goolagong
Evonne Fay Goolagong Cawley, AO, MBE is a former World No. 1 Australian female tennis player. She was one of the world's leading players in the 1970s and early 1980s, when she won 14 Grand Slam titles: seven in singles , six in women's doubles, and one in mixed doubles.-Early life:Goolagong is the...
and Janet Young in the final.
Most of her women's doubles titles were achieved with partner Linky Boshoff
Linky Boshoff
Delina Ann Boshoff-Mortlock was born on 12 November 1956, and is a former professional tennis player who won the 1976 US Open women's doubles title with her partner Ilana Kloss...
.
After retiring, Kloss took part in the 35-and-over tour, winning the U.S. Open doubles and mixed doubles championship in 1999.
Hall of Fame
Kloss, who is Jewish, was inducted into the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2006. She also played in the Maccabiah GamesMaccabiah Games
The Maccabiah is an international Jewish athletic event similar to the Olympics held in Israel every four years under the auspices of the Maccabi Federation, affiliated with the Maccabi World Union. The Maccabiah Games is the third largest international sports competition in the world...
in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.
World Team Tennis
Since 2001 she has been the Chief Executive Officer & Commissioner of World Team Tennis, a coed professional tennis league.Personal life
Kloss was born to Ruth and Shlaim Kloss. She has a sister, Yvette Merle Blackman (née Kloss), now married to Richard Blackman with two children, Lara and Joshua Blackman.Kloss is the life partner of Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King is a former professional tennis player from the United States. She won 12 Grand Slam singles titles, 16 Grand Slam women's doubles titles, and 11 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. King has been an advocate against sexism in sports and society...
, the US tennis player. She currently resides near the Museum of Natural History
Museum of Natural History
A museum of natural history is a museum with exhibits about natural history, including such topics as animals, plants, ecosystems, geology, paleontology, and climatology. Some museums feature natural-history collections in addition to other collections, such as ones related to history, art and...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Grand Slam doubles titles (1)
| Year | Championship | Partnering | Opponents in Final | Score in Final |
| 1976 | U.S. Open |  Linky BoshoffLinky Boshoff Delina Ann Boshoff-Mortlock was born on 12 November 1956, and is a former professional tennis player who won the 1976 US Open women's doubles title with her partner Ilana Kloss... |
 Olga MorozovaOlga Morozova Olga Vasilyevna Morozova is a retired female tennis player who competed for the Soviet Union. She was the runner up in singles at the 1974 French Open and 1974 Wimbledon Championships.-Career:...  Virginia WadeVirginia Wade Sarah Virginia Wade, OBE is a former English tennis player. She won three Grand Slam singles championships and four Grand Slam doubles championships. She won the women's singles championship at Wimbledon on 1 July 1977, in that tournament's centenary year, the last time any Briton has won a... |
6–1, 6–4 |
Mixed Doubles titles (1)
| Year | Championship | Partnering | Opponents in Final | Score in Final |
| 1976 1976 French Open List of the 1976 French Open champions:- Men's singles : Adriano Panatta def. Harold Solomon, 6–1, 6–4, 4–6, 7–6*It was Panatta's 1st career Grand Slam title.- Women's singles : Susan Barker def... |
French Open |  Kim WarwickKim Warwick Kim Warwick is a former Australian professional male tennis player mostly known for his doubles titles with Mark Edmondson, and for reaching the final of the singles Australian Open in 1980... |
 Colin DowdeswellColin Dowdeswell Colin Dowdeswell , is a former professional tennis player who represented, at different times, Rhodesia, Zimbabwe, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. During his time on the world tour, he won 1 singles titles and 11 doubles titles... Linky BoshoffLinky Boshoff Delina Ann Boshoff-Mortlock was born on 12 November 1956, and is a former professional tennis player who won the 1976 US Open women's doubles title with her partner Ilana Kloss... |
5–7, 7–6, 6–2 |