Renée Richards, formerly Richard Raskind, (born August 19, 1934) is an American ophthalmologist and former tennis player who played professionally as a woman from 1977 to 1981, when she retired at age 47. Richards became known worldwide, following male-to-female medical transition, when she fought to compete as a woman at the 1976 US Open. Richards played her first professional event as a female at the U.S. Open the following year, and was ranked as high as 20th in the world in February 1979. Her greatest successes on the court came as a doubles finalist, with Betty Ann Grubb Stuart, at the 1977 US Open, and a semifinalist in mixed doubles, with Ilie Năstase, at the US Open. In 1979, she defeated Nancy Richey for the 35-and-over singles title at the US Open. Richards posted wins over Hana Mandlíková, Sylvia Hanika, Virginia Ruzici, and Pam Shriver. She later coached Martina Navratilova to two Wimbledon titles. The following arecordings are from interviews in 1976, 1977 and 1980.