It was a momentous milestone, brought about in no small part by an equally momentous champion, Billie Jean King. In 1973, the US Open became the first of the four Grand Slam tournaments to offer equal prize money to men and women competitors, a pioneering move that shook the sport and began to reshape it toward a more equitable future.
As we this year celebrate the 50th anniversary of this important US Open milestone, USOpen.org will feature a series of reflections upon other major markers of equality in tennis across this past half-century, each of which helped to nudge the sport forward toward the grand goal of a more level playing field for all. In this installment, we look back at Amelie Mauresmo's groundbreaking coaching roles on the ATP Tour.
Amelie Mauresmo reached six straight US Open women's singles quarterfinals from 2002-07, including two semifinal showings, and she debuted at world No. 1 after reaching the quarters in 2004. A decade later, the Frenchwoman returned to New York in a different capactity—as coach of Andy Murray.
Mauresmo had previously helped guide countrywoman Marion Bartoli to the 2013 Roland Garros title and worked as part of Victoria Azarenka's team in 2012. But her appointment as the former US Open mens' singles champion's head coach in June 2014 was another milestone moment for gender equality in tennis.
Never before had a woman held that role alongside a male player of Murray's caliber.
"I had the impression that I had a lot of responsibility and that I didn't have the right to make mistakes," Mauresmo said in 2021, reflecting on the period. "If I screwed up, all women would screw up with me."
With significant attention on the new partnership, including many naysayers, the pair enjoyed a successful two-year stint that ended by mutual agreement in June 2016.
Under Mauresmo's tutleage, Murray won his first clay-court titles and earned his first clay win against Rafael Nadal in the 2015 Madrid final. He also made two Australian Open finals with Mauresmo and reached as high as world No. 2 after dropping to No. 12 early in their partnership, as he recovered from back surgery.
Despite the success, the groundbreaking nature of the pairing was apparent in the barbs lobbed Mauresmo's way at the first sign of any struggles.
"I was very surprised at the amount of criticism she received for each loss I had," Murray said in 2015. "I couldn't believe the negativity towards her personally. That has never happened with any other coach I've worked with before. It was a shock."
Undeterred, Mauresmo continued to excel on the coaching circuit in both the men's and women's games. Overlapping with her time alongside Murray, she also captained the French Billie Jean King Cup (then Fed Cup) team from 2013-16, but left her post after leading the team to the 2016 final due to her second pregnancy. She had her first child in August 2015, taking maternity leave while working with Murray.
In 2018, Mauresemo was appointed to captain the French Davis Cup team the following season, though she never commenced the job due to another opportunity on the ATP Tour, this time as the coach of countryman Lucas Pouille.
Pouille had immediate success under Mauresmo with a run to the 2019 Australian Open semifinals—a result that remains his best Grand Slam showing. He entered Melbourne without a previous match win at the event, but notched five in succession under Mauresmo's guidance, his run only ending at the hands of eventual champion Novak Djokovic. Pouille and Mauresmo split in October 2020 amidst the effects of COVID-19 on the tennis calendar.
While female coaches remain rare on the ATP Tour, and even on the WTA Tour, Mauresmo's pioneering career has provided a blueprint for more women to follow.
Today, Mauresmo remains a prominent figure in the tennis landscape as the Roland Garros tournament director. The first female in the role, she was named to the post at her home major in late 2021—18 months after the USTA tabbed Stacey Allaster as the US Open's first female tournament director.
