[2] The United States Tennis Association began requiring genetic screening for female players that year.

Richards challenged that policy, and the New York Supreme Court ruled in her favor, a landmark case in transgender rights.

[4][7][8][9][10][11] Her father David Raskind was an orthopedic surgeon, and her mother was one of the first female psychiatrists in the United States, in addition to being a professor at Columbia University.

[4] During college Richards began dressing as a woman, which at the time was considered to be a perversion, with transsexualism classified as a form of insanity.

[7] She began seeing Dr. Charles Ihlenfeld, a disciple of Harry Benjamin who specialized in endocrinology, transsexualism, and sexual reassignment.

[4] In the mid-1960s she traveled in Europe dressed as a woman, intending to go to North Africa to see Georges Burou, a famous gynecological surgeon at Clinique Parc in Casablanca, Morocco, regarding sex reassignment surgery; however, she ultimately decided against it and returned to New York.

[4][12][13] In the early 1970s, Richards resolved to undergo sex reassignment and was referred to surgeon Roberto C. Granato Sr. by Harry Benjamin, successfully transitioning in 1975.

[4][7] Sports Illustrated called Richards an "extraordinary spectacle", and characterized reactions to her as "varying from astonishment to suspicion, sympathy, resentment, and more often than not, utter confusion.

He ruled: "This person is now a female" and that requiring Richards to pass the Barr body test was "grossly unfair, discriminatory and inequitable, and a violation of her rights.

[4][7] In the summer of 1976 she entered the La Jolla Tennis Championships,[23] where she crushed the competition, and her unique left hand serve was recognized by Bob Perry, a tour player from UCLA.

[4][5][7] This was just the beginning of the issues Richards would encounter in trying to play professional women's tennis, which eventually led to her suing the USTA and winning.

Richards posted wins over Hana Mandlíková, Sylvia Hanika, Virginia Ruzici, and Pam Shriver.

"[26][27] After four years of playing tennis, she decided to return to her medical practice, which she moved to Park Avenue in New York.

[4][7] She now lives in a small town north of New York City with her platonic companion and assistant, Arleen Larzelere.