When Ilana Kloss emerged as a young pro tennis player in the 1970s, she had to be inventive, and not just on the court. A white native of South Africa, apartheid sanctions made competing internationally challenging.
“If I couldn’t get a visa, I had to figure it out,” Kloss said. “That’s why I am a good problem solver.”
Relationships she forged with players, including her now partner Billie Jean King, eased her way. Since 1985, Kloss has worked for King’s brainchild, World TeamTennis, serving in the last decade as its commissioner.
She inherited her marketing skills from her father, a traveling salesman, learning that people who generate revenue always have a job. That’s why she is relentless pushing for WTT.
“If someone says no,” she said, “it means they just don’t have enough information.”
— Daniel Kaplan
WHAT OTHERSARE SAYING
“In business, everything starts with integrity, and that is very important to Ilana: integrity, honesty and accepting responsibility. She keeps her word. More than anything else, she wants to make a positive difference both in our sport and in the lives of others.”
- Billie Jean King, World TeamTennis co-founder
