Renee Richards made her mark on professional tennis by being the first (and perhaps only) transgender player to compete against players of her adopted gender. Richards was born Richard Raskind and competed as a talented amateur in men's tennis leagues until the mid - 1970's when he underwent a sex change operation. With the advocacy of tennis star Billie Jean King, Richards was able to compete on the women's circuit, reaching a 12th place ranking by the end of 1977.
Renee Richards
