Fila was back out on the Village Stage at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on Saturday afternoon for a special edition of "Tennis Talk." This time Tennis Channel's Chanda Rubin lead the insightful and inspiring conversation alongside up-and-coming WTA player, Robin Montgomery and Rosie Casals. The energy surrounding the panel was vibrant as the trailblazing group celebrated women in sports and shared their personal stories.
Being a woman of color, Chanda Rubin discussed just how crucial it is to have representation and to feel supported by others that share the same background or skin color. It's one of the most important things for Rubin.
"Everyone wants to see themselves in certain spaces and it can be a lot harder to do that when no one looks like you in those spaces," Rubin explained. "When there is no one who looks like you, supporting you to get to those spaces or encouraging you, providing you those examples."
The former Top 10 competitor feels this sport has always been open to trailblazers because it's an individual sport. She believes it's vital to be a cheerleader for the younger generation and teaching them along their journeys. Montgomery who is just 17-years-old spoke about Serena and Venus Williams being that source of light to go after her on-court dreams. Seeing two women that resembled her on court dominating the competition meant everything to her growing up.
"I was very happy to have two people that I could look up to that were basically demolishing the competition," Montgomery said.
