Stacey Allaster Honoured with the Billie Jean King Leadership Award

By Helen Luckman

On Oct. 12, 2023 at the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Annual Salute to Women in Sport, Stacey Allaster, BA’85, MBA’00, LLD’14, was awarded the Billie Jean King Leadership Award.

The prestigious award, named after the legendary tennis icon who continues to inspire and promote opportunities for women to succeed, recognizes those who demonstrate outstanding leadership and make significant contributions to the advancement of women through achievements in sport and the workplace.

Indeed, Stacey has continued to lead and contribute in the highest echelons of tennis. Her career is a touchstone of success in the United States (where she is the Chief Executive of Professional Tennis at the US Tennis Association and Tournament Director of the US Open), and in Canada where she is part of the Pro Women’s Advisory Group that advocates support for women’s professional sport.

Stacey’s passion for tennis started on the courts in Welland, Ontario and continued through her years at Western. After graduation, she made her mark with Tennis Canada, where she moved through the ranks to become Tournament Director of the Canadian Open.

In 2006 Stacey moved to the United States and joined the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and became Chairman and Chief Executive in 2009. Her years there saw the development of lucrative sponsorship deals, the introduction of electronic line calls and aggressive expansion into the Asia-Pacific markets.

In the summer of 2020 Stacey assumed the role of tournament director of the US Open, the first woman to head any of the sport’s four grand slams. Stacey’s experiences with Tennis Canada and the WTA helped her navigate the team through uncertainty during the pandemic, showing that it was possible to successfully stage an international event and get the industry back to work.

Other notable accolades awarded to Stacey include Forbes’s 50 over 50 Visionary, Tennis Canada’s Top 50 Hero in the past 50 years and Companion of the Order of Canada.

Stacey’s leadership, tenacity and vision continue to be exemplary. We are proud of her and her ongoing contributions to equality in sport. Congratulations, Stacey!