Stephanie Tolleson

Taking up tennis at age 10, Stephanie Tolleson (b. 1956) went on to play a major role off the court in developing women’s tennis as a worldwide phenomenon. Nationally ranked as a junior, Tolleson earned a full athletic scholarship to Trinity University, a rare occurrence prior to the implementation of Title IX. She captured the intercollegiate singles title as a freshman in 1975, and helped her team win back-to-back national championships in 1975 and 1976. Turning pro in 1976, she played three seasons of World Team Tennis and competed twice at the U.S. Open and Wimbledon.

Joining the business side of the game in 1979, Tolleson spent two formative years with the WTA, then began a 25-year career with sports marketing giant International Management Group (IMG), founded by Mark McCormack. She quickly rose up the ranks into client management, representing the world’s top players. Promoted to Senior Corporate Vice President, Tolleson oversaw all aspects of IMG’s global tennis division.

She capped her remarkable career by brokering Sony Ericsson’s $88 million title sponsorship of the WTA Tour in 2005, the largest sponsorship ever in women’s sports.