Julie Heldman was one of the World’s Top Ten women’s Singles players four times—fifth in 1969, seventh in 1970, ninth in 1973, and fifth in 1974. With eight other top-ranked female tennis stars, she is one of the founding players of the Virginia Slims Tour, the first women’s professional tour.

Heldman first appeared in U.S. Top Ten Singles rankings in 1963 at
number ten. Her best was second in 1968 and 1969. She ranked on America’s Top Ten Singles list all but three years (due to temporary retirement and injuries) between 1963 and 1975. In Doubles competition, her highest U.S. ranking was number two in 1965 with Tory Fretz and 1969 with Peaches Bartkowicz.

In all, the Stanford University graduate won 25 championships, including the Italian, Canadian, Belgian, Mexican, Argentine, Swedish, Welsh, Russian, and Chilean Singles titles.

A member of the United States’ victorious Federation Cup (women’s
Davis Cup) teams of 1966, 1969, and 1974, she also played on the U.S. championship Wightman Cup teams (United States versus Great Britain) in 1969, 1970, and 1971. Julie was also a member of Federation Cup teams in 1970 and 1975 (captain in 1975) and
Wightman Cup teams in 1965, 1966, 1974, and 1975 (captain 1974 and 1975).

In 1969, after reaching the quarterfinals at Wimbledon and in between winning the Italian Open Singles and playing number one for the successful U.S. team in Wightman Cup competition, Julie won the Maccabiah Games Singles in Israel—plus the Maccabiah
Doubles with Marilyn Aschner and Mixed Doubles with Ed Rubinoff. She would finish the year—her best— ranked second in the United States and fifth in the World.

From 1973 to 1975, Julie provided commentary for the U.S. Open on CBS Television, at the same time authoring articles for various publications, including her mother’s magazine, World Tennis. From 1975 to 1977, she was a member of the NBC Wimbledon telecast team. Covering the Avis Challenge Cup Tournament for NBC in
1976, Julie became the first woman to provide commentary on a men’s tennis event.

Julie Heldman is the youngest of two daughters in U.S. tennis’ “first
family.” Father Julius Heldman was a leading amateur player in the 1930s and 1940s, scoring victories over such world-ranked tennis stars as Jack Kramer, Ted Schroeder, Bob Falkenberg, Art Larsen, and Herb Flam. Mother Gladys played at Wimbledon but made a greater mark as the “patron saint” of women’s tennis and as editor
and publisher of World Tennis (see her biography in Media). Older sister Carrie was a junior champion.