Billie Jean King on today's tennis, the media and a new play at Chicago Shakespeare about her life
King spoke to the Tribune in a telephone interview just after returning from the All England Lawn Tennis Championships, better known as Wimbledon, where she sat next to Princess Kate in the Royal Box for the women's singles final and watched Iga Świątek defeat Amanda Anisimova by a score of 6-0, 6-0. Our conversation has been edited for clarity and length.
Q: That final was quite the wipeout.
A: Świątek was amazing. She couldn't even get through the qualifier last time. But you know, we don't have two dominant players anymore. It used to be Steffi (Graf) and Monica (Seles), or Chris (Evert) and Martina (Navratilova). Now on a given day, any of the top 200 women can beat any of the others.
Q: The women's game has come a long way.
A: I put on the tennis channel and I can't believe all the cities we are in now. We've really been the leaders in women's sport since the 1970s. The Ladies Professional Golf Association was founded a year before the Women's Tennis Association but we've eclipsed them.
Q: Could you have beaten Świątek or Anisimova when you were in your prime?
A: No. My brother played professional baseball for 12 years. Our parents taught us both that every generation gets better. I them to be better. When we women signed our first one-dollar contract, we wanted three things: a place to compete, to be appreciated for our accomplishments and not only for our looks, and to be able to make a living playing the sport we love. Now you see all the other women's sports people are starting to invest in. My former husband and I used to own the Chicago tournament. I've been involved in Chicago for a very long time.
Q: You still have your place here, right?
A: I do.
Q: Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz also played an amazing match.
A: They did. Italy and Spain right now have the best male players in the world. And Jannik is such a great guy. You could not ask for a more thoughtful, smarter human being. He walked all the way over as we were leaving Wimbledon and introduced himself to my entire group, one by one. He didn't have to do that. There really has been a changing of the guard with Sinner and Alcaraz and all the others. I've been through six generations of players now. And don't forget the Italian woman, Jasmine Paolini. She loves to perform.
Q: You are very easy to talk with.
A: I have always talked to the media. When younger players complain about doing so, I've always said, 'Have you ever thought that this is how these people make their livings? And that if you don't talk to them they might lose the job they are in?' No players ever answer yes to that. I always say you have to know the business you are in. I could come up with other names for you to interview if you like.
Q: Most athletes don't look at things that way.
A: True. Most players also have no clue how much things cost. The top players are just starting to understand they should run their own businesses, not just get money from endorsements. I've invested in sports since 1968.
Q: Now Chicago gets to see a play about you.
A: When the producer, Harriet (Newman Leve), said she wanted to start in Chicago, I said that's fantastic. Aside from the apartment, I am so invested there.
Q: This is not your first go-around in terms of dramatizations of your life. There was the movie, 'The Battle of the Sexes,' about your beating Bobby Riggs.
A: We are still friends with Emma Stone (who played King). She married a great guy we love. She had a baby. The baby loves tennis. Did you know tennis was the healthiest sport in the world? They've done research.
Q: I can believe it.
A: I still love to hit balls against the wall.
Q: I can believe that too. So you are involved in this play?
A: Are you kidding me? We've been involved. I've met all the actors. I've made suggestions. Lauren (Gunderson) has done a really great job.
Q: Chilina Kennedy, a musical star I've seen many times, plays you.
A: I want her to sing. She's so talented.
Q: Plays about sport can he hard unless you have incredible actor-athletes. Tough to pretend to play like you did.
A: Sure. But this play isn't about tennis as much as it is about life. It's off the court that matters here. It's about my trying to figure out my sexuality. I think it's a great platform for the community. Tennis is a part of it, of course. But for me, it's really about the audience so that when they leave they are inspired by something. I hope they can derive something from it that makes their lives better. I think it expresses my journey through the thick and the thin.
We've all been going like a bat of hell. Of course. It's about women's sports.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Chicago Tribune
26 minutes ago
- Chicago Tribune
Review: An intimate ‘Passion' from Blank Theatre Co.
Most of the great Stephen Sondheim musicals flowed from notions conceived by others. But creating 'Sweeney Todd' as a musical was Sondheim's idea and so was 'Passion,' his intense 1994 collaboration with James Lapine, now on very intimate view from Blank Theatre Company in the tiny downstairs studio within the Greenhouse Theater Center in Lincoln Park Based on both a novel and a movie, 'Passion' is the story of a soldier, Giorgio (Evan Bradford), who we first see making love to Clara (Rachel Guth), a beautiful married woman. But when he gets posted to another town, Giorgio becomes involved with Fosca (Brittney Brown), the cousin of his commanding officer, an obsessive, hyper-intense woman disfigured by epilepsy and capable of love on a level that Giorgio had not previously conceived as even humanly possible. Among myriad other exquisitely detailed observations, 'Passion' offers Sondheim's most explicit declaration of the existential imperative to love. 'Loving you is not a choice, it's who I am,' sings Fosca, Later on in that lyric, typifying the thesis of the whole show, she describes how the act of loving, although more painful than joyous, helps her define her reason for being. In this show, loving does not mean subjugating oneself but using it to find purpose. It's all with Sondheim's lifelong thesis that the only things that truly outlive you are children and art. 'Passion' is, to say the least, a very tricky show. Fosca is an especially difficult role; I remember, from some 18 years ago, how much it challenged Ana Gasteyer at Chicago Shakespeare Theater. And even by the standards of Chicago's storefront spaces, this one is very small, a match for this theater company's budget. Director Danny Kapinos has Clara and Giorgio initially making love on a fixed slab, a nod to the opening tableaux Sondheim desired. But then he gets stuck with it all night long, and the rest of the cast have to keep stepping out of its way. In general, my view of Blank's plucky work in town so far is that its artistic leadership has to find ways to produce these musicals in ways that depart more radically from traditional stagings and that match both their spaces and the young talent they're able to recruit. Here, something simpler and even more concert-style would have sufficed; the show struggles with a backdrop that it wants to be variously firm and translucent, but the audience is simply too close to pull that off, so the requisite fluidity is hard to feel. All that said, there's also much to enjoy from Blank this summer. The standout performance here is from Bradford, an excellent young performer who does a great deal with what can be a thankless role of dubious empathic appeal, given that he finds himself torn between an affair with a married woman and a woman to whom Giorgio finds himself superior. But Bradford actually forges quite the likable guy and, especially when joined by Guth, a lovely singer, the sound that comes from the stage is quite rich. I feel like I can tell when the members of the Church of Sondheim are present off-Loop, and they were Thursday night, and they demonstrably approved of what they were hearing. Brown throws herself courageously at Fosca and her work is unstintingly honest and vulnerable. Musically, she gets some of the way there, no small feat. But her Fosca is a tad too, well, conventionally appealing, for the show fully to work. The show is structured so that Giorgio has first to overcome what can only be described as revulsion in order to arrive at the realization that to be on the receiving end of the most intense love imaginable can mean you start feeling it back yourself. Review: 'Passion' (3 stars) When: Through Aug. 10 Where: Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave. Running time: 1 hour, 45 minutes Tickets: $15-$35 at
Eater
an hour ago
- Eater
The Biggest New Las Vegas Restaurant Openings, August 2025
Las Vegas's dining scene moves quickly — powerhouse casinos usher in new behemoths with Champagne and sparklers while off-Strip restaurants continue to open doors in homey neighborhood strip malls. Here is a list of new and notable spots that opened in Las Vegas recently. For the best restaurants in town, check out Eater Las Vegas's Essential 38 or Eater's guide to eating and drinking in Las Vegas. Max Milla The Cosmopolitan is once again home to a burger joint. A year after Holsteins' closure made way for the moody, fire-lit modern Mexican restaurant Amaya, Naughty Patty's has taken over a stall in the Block 16 Urban Food Hall, near China Poblano. This retro-style spot leans into the smash burger trend, serving a focused menu of burgers, grilled cheese sandwiches, and loaded hot dogs. The signature burger features a blend of ground chuck and brisket, smashed thin and lacy with crisp caramelized edges. For dessert, thick concretes arrive swirled with nostalgic toppings like Oreo and strawberry shortcake. Louiie Victa A space adjacent to Superfrico is just big enough for 50 visitors — plus a handful of dinner party 'guests' who may roll, drop, or swing into the room. Speigelworld's new venture is a supper club-style experience that blends the Italian food from Superfrico with talent from the group behind Absinthe and Atomic Saloon. A three-course dinner includes appetizers like tuna tartare or salad with Calabrian ranch dressing, mains like seared mushroom gnocchi with black truffle or six-ounce prime filet with roasted bone marrow sauce, and dessert of tiramisu or rice pudding. Throughout dinner, expect hijinks from the night's host, acrobats who perilously balance atop one another, and a performer who achieves impossible feats with soap bubbles. Ai Pazzi Fabio Viviani, the crowned 'Fan Favorite' of Top Chef, brings his restaurant empire to Las Vegas with Ai Pazzi in Summerlin. Located at the JW Marriott Las Vegas, Vivianni's restaurant is traditional Italian with touches of Vegas glam — like the chef's signature meatball — upgraded with wagyu and rich tomato sugo, orecchiette pasta tossed with spiced duck sausage, and a frutti di mare squid ink pasta in a briny mix of clams, mussels, and shrimp in lobster broth. The restaurant is part of JW Marriott and Rampart Casino's $75 million renovation, which will include a pizza counter adjacent to the restaurant and an Italian-style Oyster Bar later this summer. Street Food by Weera Thai Weera Thai already operates four locations where it highlights vibrant dishes originating from the Northeastern region of Thailand. The family first opened in Weera Larb Ped in Chiang Mai more than 40 years ago. But its newest venture is Street Food by Weera Thai. Here, popular dishes make the menu alongside new specialties like khao mok kai with tender spiced chicken and crispy onions, served with a spicy and sweet chutney. It's located in a casual space near Golden Steer — its purple flowers and duck mural are visible from the windows. Rare Society In San Diego, Rare Society is known for its dramatic steak boards — dry-aged cuts arranged and accented with bearnaise, horseradish, and buttery bone marrow. The Southern Californian steakhouse from chef Brad Wise and Trust Restaurant Group is now open at Uncommons in Southwest Las Vegas in a swanky dining room. Think with cozy booth seating tucked between wood-slat partitions, soft ambient lighting, and a glossy bar that feels classic Vegas. An eight-ounce cut of Denver-cut wagyu from Snake River Farms is an impossibly marbled shoulder cut. It's — tender and flavorful with a deliciously charred crust courtesy of the Santa Maria ranchero-style grilling over white oak. The sides are each enough to share, but with choices like crunchy pickled onion rings, potatoes au gratin with black truffle, and wood fired broccolini with za'atar, lemon, and sumac yogurt, it's worth double or tripling up. Golden Boy Market and Deli This new Henderson deli and specialty market turns out sandwiches on crackly, golden baguettes from French bakery Bridor. The menu features items like a chicken Caesar salad sandwich with chile crisp and breadcrumbs or a stacked deli combo of salami, chorizo, roast pork, and cheddar with Kewpie mayo. The market also stocks tinned fish, semola flour, and olive oils, making it a charming stop for lunch and pantry upgrades alike. Not a Damn Chance Not a Damn Chance started in Austin, Texas, as a collaboration between pro skateboarder Neen Williams and chef Phillip Frankland Lee of Scratch Restaurants Group. Now, it's landed at Resorts World as a temporary 24-hour pop-up. The signature burger features a wagyu patty topped with grilled onions, American cheese, pickles, jalapeños, and a house-made secret sauce on a toasted potato roll. Fries come loaded with cheese, pickles, and more sauce, while a Vegas-only breakfast burger adds bacon and a fried egg to the mix. Eater Vegas All your essential food and restaurant intel delivered to you Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Boston Globe
2 hours ago
- Boston Globe
At the Maine Lobster Festival, the claws come out
A banner behind declares 'No One Wants To Be Scalded Alive! Go Vegan.' The rubber bands are off in the battle of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) against the festival celebrating the state's world-famous cultural delicacy. Advertisement 'Damn,' says one passerby. 'He just ruined my lunch.' A PETA demonstration on the opening day of the Maine Lobster Festival called the steaming of lobsters as torture. Stan Grossfeld PETA calls the steaming of lobsters here in the world's largest lobster cooker 'torture.' They filed a lawsuit on July 24 in Knox County Superior Court against the City of Rockland and the festival to stop the 'systematic torture of approximately 16,000 live, sentient animals on public land (Harbor Park).' PETA contends the lobsters are 'painfully scalded to death through prolonged exposure to superheated steam,' without any effort to spare them pain, such as by 'stunning' them, an electrical process that would render them insensible to pain. A spokesperson for the festival says it is breaking no laws and called the PETA action a 'press stunt.' Early morning at the festival, where tens of thousands of guests visit each year. Stan Grossfeld The festival 'has celebrated Maine's iconic lobster industry for 78 years using traditional, lawful, and widely accepted cooking methods. We greet thousands of guests from all over the world each year and showcase our industry and our beautiful area, and offer a fantastic experience,' Shannon Kinney, marketing director for the Maine Lobster Festival and the Rockland Festival Corporation, said in a statement. Advertisement 'We are proud ambassadors of the beautiful state of Maine . . . and we respect everyone's right to choose what's right for them. While we respect differing viewpoints, there is no conclusive scientific consensus that lobsters experience pain.' Stunning lobsters is not 'common industry practice,' and would 'not be feasible' when serving tens of thousands who attend the festival, the statement said. A lobster loving boy posed for a photo op. Stan Grossfeld PETA says Switzerland, Norway, and the Italian city of Reggio Emilia have all made it illegal to boil lobsters alive without stunning them first. Boiling is also banned in New Zealand, and there are bans across parts of Australia, according to PETA. Amanda Brody, PETA campaigns manager, says these crustaceans are more like humans than most people realize. 'Mother lobsters are pregnant for nine months. Baby lobsters have prolonged childhood. Some of them can live to be 100 years old.' Scientists differ on how much pain a lobster experiences when they hit a big pot of boiling water. The American Veterinary Medical Association says lobsters 'struggle violently for about 2 minutes . . . thrash and try to escape . . . another indicator of stress.' A lobster that a volunteer hypnotized rested on the world's largest lobster cooker. Stan Grossfeld The Lobster Institute at the University of Maine notes the creatures have 'nerves that allow the processing of noxious stimuli,' (read: ouch!). Advertisement But, 'this does not necessarily mean lobsters feel pain the way that we understand it, as pain is a subjective experience.' In an unscientific poll, most people here said they believe lobsters can feel pain. 'I would say lobster do get brutally murdered,' says Jacob Ecker, 13, of Cushing, adding he won't eat them at all. Rebecca Spearing, the newly crowned 2025 Maine Lobster Festival delegate, is the proud daughter of a lobsterman. 'I think they're bugs,' she says with a teasing smile. US Navy Quartermaster Devine Perry in port with the USS Arlington enjoyed a steamed lobster and all the trimmings. 'I love seafood,' she said. 'I think animals and people suffer. But you can enjoy each other while we in the midst of enjoying this animal.' Stan Grossfeld 'I think they're crustaceans, and they don't have that kind of nervous system to feel (pain),' she says. " And I think they taste really good.' Glen Dwyer, selling jewelry in the arts and crafts tent, says he has worked in lobster shacks. 'I know that they suffer,' he says. 'I cooked them for three years.' But he's not a PETA fan, either 'People in this area have been harvesting lobsters since prehistoric times. It's been supporting life here, and a lot of people derive a lot of joy out of it.' Rebecca Spearing is the 2025 Maine Lobster Festival delegate. Her father is a lobsterman, and she's honored to celebrate the city's lobster heritage. Stan Grossfeld Vern Mossman, 65, the festival's cooking director, has been helping out since he was seven. He started cooking at 17. Can lobsters feel pain? He shakes his head. 'I can't get into details of that. I can't.' He oversees the gigantic lobster cooker which contains eight individual cooking units, each able to hold 200 pounds of lobster. People donated bricks engraved with their names to help build it in — the self-proclaimed 'Lobster Capital of the World.' He says no one complains to him about the treatment of the lobsters. Advertisement 'No, they just come up and thank us,' he says. 'I'm not getting paid, we're all volunteers.' This blue lobster got spared because of its color and was on exhibition in a tank as part of the festival's marine tent experience. Stan Grossfeld Donations collected from visitors go toward the community's needs, like food banks. 'We're helping out people as much as we can,' he says. He's not a lobster lover. 'I won't eat them.' he says. Donna Stobbs of Kittery, doesn't feel sorry for the lobsters at all. She thinks they are yummy. 'I feel bad for the cooking people, baking their buns off,' she says of the intense heat they face from boiling water and steam. 'But you know, the lobsters, that's their plight in life . . . to be cooked.' @font-face { font-family: BentonSansCond-Regular; src: url(" format('woff2'), url(" format('woff'); } @font-face { font-family: BentonSansCond-Bold; src: url(" format('woff2'), url(" format('woff'); } .dipupnext_hed { font-family: "MillerHeadline-Bold", "Times New Roman", Times, Georgia, serif; letter-spacing: .75px; text-align: center; font-size: 1.25em; line-height: 1; margin-top: 3px; color: #000; width: 100%; font-weight: 600; } .dipupnext_cap_cred { font-family: "BentonSansCond-Regular", "Times New Roman", Times, Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: .5px; text-align: left; margin: 3px 0px 5px 0px; font-weight: 200; color: #000; text-decoration: none; text-align: center; } .dipupnext_photo { max-width: 100%; height: auto; padding-top: 15px; opacity: 1; } .dipupnext__form:hover { opacity: .5; text-decoration: underline .5px; } .dipupnext__form{ opacity: 1; } .picupnext__container { width: 100%; position: relative; margin: 0 auto; } .dipupnext__content { width: 100%; display: grid; grid-template-columns: 3fr; } .cdipupnextcontainer { display: block; width:100%; height: auto; margin:0 auto; -moz-box-sizing: border-box; overflow: hidden; } .upnext { font-family: "BentonSansCond-Bold", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; text-align: center; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.15; margin-top: .5rem; letter-spacing: 0px; color: #000; padding: 8px 8px 4px 8px; margin-top: 5px; letter-spacing: .5px; } .upnext:before, .upnext:after { background-color: #000; content: ""; display: inline-block; height: 1px; position: relative; vertical-align: 4px; width: 32%; } .upnext:before { right: 0.3em; margin-left: -50%; } .upnext:after { left: 0.3em; margin-right: -50%; } .theme-dark .upnext:before { background-color: #fff; } .theme-dark .upnext:after { background-color: #fff; } .theme-dark .upnext { color: #fff; } .theme-dark .dipupnext_cap_cred { color: #fff; } .theme-dark .dipupnext_hed { color: #fff; } @media screen and (min-width: 800px){ .dipupnext__content { grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr 1fr; grid-column-gap: 40px; } } UP NEXT Stan Grossfeld can be reached at
