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.
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