Ilana Kloss

Ilana Sheryl Kloss (born 22 March 1956) is a former professional tennis player, tennis coach, and commissioner of World TeamTennis, since 2001.[1] She was the World's No. 1 ranked doubles player in 1976, World No. 19 in singles in 1979.[2]

Ilana Kloss
Full nameIlana Sheryl Kloss
ResidenceNew York City and Chicago
Born (1956-03-22) 22 March 1956
Johannesburg, South Africa
Turned pro1973
PlaysLeft-handed
Singles
Highest rankingNo. 19 (1976)
Grand Slam Singles results
French Open2R (1976, 1979)
Wimbledon3R (1975, 1976, 1978)
US Open3R (1973, 1978)
Doubles
Career record2–4
Career titles19
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian OpenQF (1983)
French OpenSF (1976, 1979)
WimbledonSF (1976)
US OpenW (1976)
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
French OpenW (1976)

Personal life

Kloss was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and is Jewish.[3][4]

Kloss is the partner of Billie Jean King, the US tennis player.[5] The two of them became minority owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team in September 2018.[6]

Tennis career

Before turning professional, she won the juniors singles title at Wimbledon in 1972.[7] She won the SA doubles title with Linky Boshoff in 1973, 1975, and 1977.[8] She also played in the Maccabiah Games in Israel, winning gold medals in both the women’s doubles and the mixed doubles in the 1973 Maccabiah Games, and winning a silver medal in mixed doubles in the 1977 Maccabiah Games.[9][10][11]

In 1974, she won US Open juniors singles title.[2] She was the youngest No. 1 player in South African history.[12][13] In 1973, she won the title in Cincinnati with Pat Walkden, defeating Evonne Goolagong and Janet Young in the final.

Kloss was ranked No. 1 in the world in doubles and No. 19 in singles in 1976. That year, she won doubles titles at the US Open, the Italian Open, the US Clay Courts, the German Open, the British Hard Courts Championship, and Hilton Head, as well as the mixed doubles title at the French Open.[13] Linky Boshoff was her most frequent doubles partner.[13] In 1977 she won the Canadian and German championships and the British clay court championship.[13]

In 1999, Kloss won the US Open doubles and mixed doubles championship on the 35-and-over tour.[13]

Federation Cup

From 1973 until 1977, Kloss was a member of the South African team that competed in the Federation Cup. She compiled a 12–5 win/loss record.[14]

Halls of Fame

Kloss, who is Jewish, was inducted into the US National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2006. She was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2010.[2]

World Team Tennis

Kloss joined the San Francisco Golden Gaters WTT team in 1974,[15] and reached the WTT Finals with the team in 1975.[16] She left the Golden Gaters prior to the 1976 season to team in order to fully participate in clay-court tournaments in Europe which conflicted with the WTT schedule.[17] Kloss returned to the Golden Gaters for the 1978 season. In 1983, she coached the Chicago Fyre to a WTT Championship and was named Coach of the Year. In 1985, Kloss was a player and coach for the Miami Beach Breakers, and became vice-president of WTT in 1987 and executive director in 1991. Since 2001, she has been the chief executive officer and commissioner of World Team Tennis.[1]

Grand Slam tournament finals

Women's doubles: 1 (1 title)
Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win1976US OpenClay Linky Boshoff Olga Morozova
Virginia Wade		6–1, 6–4

Mixed doubles: 1 (1 title)
Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win1976French OpenClay Kim Warwick Linky Boshoff
Colin Dowdeswell		5–7, 7–6, 6–2
gollark: GTech™ mostly uses single-atom-thickness self-repairing metallic hydrogen blades.
gollark: I see.
gollark: Well, basically, hexagons good.
gollark: We have a 30 days satisfaction or your belief back guarantee.
gollark: Have you tried Hexicantilism? You can keep your existing religion!

See also

References
  1. "Ilana Kloss". WTT.
  2. "Ilana Kloss"
  3. Day by Day in Jewish Sports History - Bob Wechsler
  4. "'The Greatest Jewish Tennis Players of All Time' Book Released". World Tennis Magazine. 29 October 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  5. "Portrait of a Pioneer: a Billie Jean King Documentary | TV Show Recaps, Celebrity Interviews & News About & For Gay, Lesbian & Bisexual Women". AfterEllen.com. 26 April 2006. Archived from the original on 18 May 2011. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
  6. Gurnick, Ken (21 September 2018). "Addition of King, Kloss sends 'strong message'". MLB.com. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  7. The Jewish lists: physicists and generals, actors and writers, and hundreds ... - Martin Harry Greenberg
  8. Jewish Affairs
  9. At the Maccabiah Games: U.S. Wins the Most Medals with 246; Israel Comes in Second with 217 | Jewish Telegraphic Agency
  10. Israel Basketball Team Loses out to Underdog U.S. Squad at 10th Maccabiah | Jewish Telegraphic Agency
  11. "Seeking Jewish Tennis Players to Represent the United States | Adults-Seniors – News | USTA Florida". Usatennisflorida.usta.com. 22 September 2008. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
  12. "US Open junior champions". Archived from the original on 11 July 2011. Retrieved 24 February 2011.
  13. "Kloss, Ilana". Jews in Sports. Retrieved 5 February 2014.
  14. "Player profile – Ilana Kloss". www.fedcup.com. International Tennis Federation (ITF).
  15. Chatoian, Ralph (23 April 1974). "An Analysis of the Pro Tennis League". Daily Independent Journal. San Rafael, California. p. 28.
  16. Mulligan, Stephen (2011). "3. 1971–1975". Were You There?: Over 300 Wonderful, Weird, an Wacky Moments from the Pittsburgh Civic/Mellon Arena. RoseDog Books. pp. 62–64. ISBN 978-1-4349-8552-1. LCCN 2011278129. Retrieved 19 August 2014 – via Google Books.
  17. Chatoian, Ralph (9 March 1976). "Golden Gaters Add Some French to Arsenal". Daily Independent Journal. San Rafael, California. p. 24.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.