Billie Jean King "proud" to announce launch of new tournament named after her partner Ilana Kloss 

Billie Jean King proudly announced the launch of The Ilana Kloss International -- a new tennis tournament named after former doubles World No. 1 and her life-partner of 40 years, Ilana Kloss.

The tournament comes under the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and is set to take place in Pretoria, South Africa. The upcoming edition will kick off on 5 March 2023. Kloss, hailing from South Africa, is considered one of the greatest ever sporting icons in the country and the organizers chose to name the tournament after her to carry forward her legacy.

Billie Jean King took to social media on Friday to share the delightful news of the tournament's launch.

"Incredibly proud to share that my partner, former South African No.1 tennis player, Ilana Kloss, will have a tournament named after her. The Ilana Kloss International, an ITF Tennis tournament taking place in Pretoria, begins on March 5," wrote the former World No. 1 in her tweet.

Ahead of the tournament, Kloss wished luck to all the participants.

“I wish all the participants the best of luck, and I know this tournament will give rising South African stars a chance to display their immense potential,” the former doubles No. 1 conveyed.

The tournament offers a $25,000 prize money and will be hosted at TuksTennis, the University of Pretoria’s tennis center.

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“Work hard, surround yourself with great coaches" - Billie Jean King's partner Ilana Kloss' message for South African players

Wanting to raise a new generation of tennis stars from her country, Billie Jean King's partner Ilana Kloss advised young South African players to work hard and surround themselves with the right coaches in order to be successful in the sport.

Speaking ahead of the The Ilana Kloss International, the former player shared her message, adding that it is important for players to consistently take part in tournaments to have any growth in the sport.

“Work hard, be sure to compete in tournaments, and surround yourself with great coaches on and off the court,” said the 66-year-old.

Meanwhile, Kloss emphasized how much the ITF tournament named after her will provide an opportunity for such players to earn valuable points and boost them at an international level. She stated:

"These tournaments don’t just further TSA’s [Tennis South Africa] pledge to host more women’s events, they offer South African players an opportunity to earn valuable international ranking points on their home turf without incurring the high costs and associated stresses of international travel."