Ilana Kloss facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ilana Sheryl Kloss
Born	(1956-03-22) 22 March 1956 (age 69) Johannesburg, South Africa
Spouse(s)	Billie Jean King ​ ​ (m. 2018)​
Tennis career
Turned pro	1973
Plays	Left-handed
Singles
Highest ranking	No. 19 (1979)
Grand Slam singles results
French Open	2R (1976, 1979)
Wimbledon	3R (1975, 1976, 1978)
US Open	3R (1973, 1978)
Doubles
Career titles	19
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	QF (1983)
French Open	SF (1976, 1979)
Wimbledon	SF (1976)
US Open	W (1976)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
French Open	W (1976)
Medal record Maccabiah Games Gold 1973 Tel Aviv Women's singles Gold 1973 Tel Aviv Women's doubles Gold 1973 Tel Aviv Mixed doubles Silver 1977 Tel Aviv Mixed doubles

Ilana Sheryl Kloss (born 22 March 1956) is a former professional tennis player from South Africa. She was also a tennis coach and a sports leader. In 1976, she was ranked the number one doubles player in the world. By 1979, she reached number 19 in singles.

Ilana won the junior singles title at Wimbledon in 1972. She also won the US Open junior singles title in 1974. In 1976, she won the US Open Doubles and the French Open Mixed Doubles titles. She also earned three gold medals at the 1973 Maccabiah Games in Israel. After her playing career, Kloss became the commissioner of World TeamTennis from 2001 to 2021.

Tennis Career

Before becoming a professional player, Ilana Kloss won the junior singles title at Wimbledon in 1972. She also won the South African doubles title three times with her partner, Linky Boshoff, in 1973, 1975, and 1977.

Maccabiah Games Achievements

Ilana also competed in the Maccabiah Games in Israel. These games are a big international Jewish athletic event. In 1973, she won three gold medals:

• Women's singles
• Women's doubles (with Helen Weiner)
• Mixed doubles

In the 1977 Maccabiah Games, she won a silver medal in mixed doubles.

Junior and Professional Success

In 1974, Ilana won the US Open junior singles title. She was the youngest player to be ranked number one in South African tennis history. In 1973, she won a title in Cincinnati with Pat Walkden. They beat famous players Evonne Goolagong and Janet Young in the final match.

In 1976, Ilana Kloss was ranked the number one doubles player in the world. She was also ranked number 19 in singles that year. She won many doubles titles in 1976, including:

• The US Open
• The Italian Open
• The US Clay Courts
• The German Open
• The British Hard Courts Championship
• A tournament in Hilton Head

She also won the mixed doubles title at the French Open in 1976. Her most frequent doubles partner was Linky Boshoff. In 1977, she won the Canadian and German championships, and the British clay court championship.

Later in 1999, Kloss won the US Open doubles and mixed doubles championships for players aged 35 and over.

Ilana Kloss was honored for her achievements. She was inducted into the US National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2006. In 2010, she was also inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

Playing for South Africa: Federation Cup

From 1973 to 1977, Ilana Kloss was a member of the South African team in the Federation Cup. This is a major international team competition in women's tennis. She had a good record, winning 12 matches and losing 5.

Leadership in World Team Tennis

Ilana Kloss joined the San Francisco Golden Gaters WTT team in 1974. WTT is a unique tennis league where teams play matches with different formats. She helped her team reach the WTT Finals in 1975. She left the team briefly in 1976 to play in clay-court tournaments in Europe.

Kloss returned to the Golden Gaters in 1978. In 1983, she coached the Chicago Fyre team to a WTT Championship. She was even named Coach of the Year! In 1985, she played and coached for the Miami Beach Breakers. She later became vice-president of WTT in 1987 and executive director in 1991. From 2001, she served as the chief executive officer and commissioner of World Team Tennis.

Grand Slam Tournament Finals

Ilana Kloss achieved great success in Grand Slam tournaments, which are the four biggest tennis events each year.

Women's Doubles: 1 Title

Here is a table showing her win in the US Open women's doubles final.

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Win	1976	US Open	Clay	Linky Boshoff	Olga Morozova Virginia Wade	6–1, 6–4

Mixed Doubles: 1 Title

This table shows her victory in the French Open mixed doubles final.

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Win	1976	French Open	Clay	Kim Warwick	Linky Boshoff Colin Dowdeswell	5–7, 7–6, 6–2

Post-Tennis Career

After her tennis career, Ilana Kloss continued to be involved in sports. She and her spouse, Billie Jean King, became part-owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team in September 2018. This means Kloss has two World Series championships to her credit from the Dodgers' wins in 2020 and 2024. They also became owners of Angel City FC, a women's soccer team in Los Angeles that started playing in the National Women's Soccer League in 2022.

Kloss is also a member of the Advisory Board for the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL), which was created in 2023. The award for the most valuable player (MVP) in the PWHL playoffs is named the Ilana Kloss Playoff MVP award. The first player to receive this award was Taylor Heise from Minnesota.

Personal Life

Ilana Kloss was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. On October 18, 2018, she married American tennis legend Billie Jean King. The ceremony was performed by former New York City Mayor David Dinkins.

See also

In Spanish: Ilana Kloss para niños

• List of select Jewish tennis players