Australian tennis star Lleyton Hewitt has joined the ‘Original 9’ group, whose efforts ultimately led to the creation of the Women’s Tennis Association, in headlining the list of nominees for induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Hewitt, now 39 and captain of the country’s Davis Cup team, in 2001 became at the age of 20 the youngest player ever to claim the world No.1 ranking. He also won the US Open (2001) and Wimbledon (2002) singles titles.

The ‘Original 9’ – which includes Australian players Judy Tegart-Dalton and Kerry Melville Reid – took a stand against a disparity in prize money and playing opportunities for women in professional tennis.

The group was nominated in the contributor category, the Newport, Rhode Island-based Hall of Fame said on Monday.

Along with Hewitt, former players Juan Carlos Ferrero, Lisa Raymond, Jonas Bjorkman and Sergi Bruguera have been nominated in the player category, while late coach Dennis van der Meer was listed in the contributor category.

The ‘Original 9’ includes Americans Peaches Bartkowicz, Rosie Casals, Julie Heldman, Billie Jean King, Kristy Pigeon, Nancy Richey, Valerie Ziegenfuss, as well as Tegart-Dalton and Melville Reid.

This week marks the 50th anniversary of when the ‘Original 9’ group broke the tennis establishment and signed $1 contracts with legendary promoter Gladys Heldman to compete in a ground-breaking women-only tournament.

“In a time where defying the odds and having a voice is more important than ever, it’s extremely rewarding to see the impact the Original 9 made 50 years ago can still be felt around the world today,” King said in the Hall of Fame’s media release.

The Class of 2021 will be announced early next year, with an induction ceremony slated to take place on July 17.