 Several female players contacted Gladys Heldman, publisher of "World Tennis Magazine", and stated that they wanted to boycott the event.While she advised against it, she then created the 1970 Houston Women's Invitation for nine women players.The original nine women from the Houston event, along with Heldman, then created their own tour, the Virginia Slims Circuit, which would later absorb the ILTF's Women's Grand Prix circuit, and eventually become the WTA Tour.