The King of Queens

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Flushing Meadows, New York

On Monday evening, August 28, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) made the right move and took a monumental step. It caused much discussion on local radio sports talk shows. It created controversy among those who do not know much about the former tennis legend and champion of women's rights. It no doubt took years for it to actually happen after the suggestion. And I am sure that even some officials within the Association were talked into it.

On one of the most special evenings in all the years I've covered the US Open, the USTA honored Billie Jean King and renamed the National Tennis Center, in Queens, New York, the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. That the great Andre Agassi also kept us on the edge of our seats on that same evening, with his thrilling, come-from-behind, four-set victory over Andrei Pavel, in the first round of the last tournament of his legendary career, made it extra special.

The naming is a most appropriate way to recognize the woman who has done more to promote the game of tennis and to create sports opportunities for girls and women than anyone in history. And I applaud the USTA for doing this in a time when naming rights to stadiums command top dollars. I also commend the USTA for doing what few other sports organizations have done – recognize legendary women.

Billie Jean King is all about promoting tennis to the masses, on public courts. She grew up playing tennis on public courts in California and the National Tennis Center has always been a facility open for public play. King is also all about breaking down barriers and creating opportunities for girls and women in sports and beyond. And her tennis career speaks for itself. Billie Jean King won 13 U.S. Championships and U.S. Open titles, including singles, women's doubles and mixed doubles and a total of 39 Grand Slam titles overall. She was ranked number one in the world six different times. In 1973, she founded the Women's Tennis Association, the first women's tennis players' union and became the Association's first president.

Billie Jean shared SI's 1972 Sportsman/Woman of the Year Award with John Wooden.

Her win over Bobby Riggs in the famed Battle of the Sexes in 1973 was the most-watched tennis match in history. More importantly, it pushed an entire nation to think about women's rights, to respect female athletes and to provide more opportunities for women in sports and in everyday work situations.

Were it not for Title IX and Billie Jean King's work in prompting the legislation's passage, who knows if girls would have the kind of sports opportunities they have today. I was a Title IX baby, as we call those who benefited immediately from the formalizing of these words of law: "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, or denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving federal financial assistance."

As a freshman in 1974, I was afforded the opportunity to play varsity basketball, volleyball, track & field and other sports that girls were unable to participate in at various schools, prior to the passage of Title IX. How devastating it was for female athletes who attended school prior to the passage of this legislation, with no sports teams on which to compete. I am sure many women can relate to this disparity. In addition, there was a stigma attached to girls who were athletic. Back then, girls who were athletes were, generally speaking, not accepted or respected. Years ago, it was considered "unhealthy" for a woman to be athletic, not to mention, "unladylike." As I entered junior high school, I had natural athletic talent with absolutely no teams on which to play. By my freshman year in high school, Title IX was law, and we had teams for female athletes – except tennis, so I competed on the boys' tennis team.

The playing fields for women may be more in number, but not yet level. We are still fighting for equal opportunities for female athletes and in many other areas. Thirty-four years later, Title IX is in jeopardy based on a federal Department of Education's announcement in March, of an Additional Clarification of its policy for collegiate compliance with Title IX in athletic programs, which has all the makings of a possible reduction in funds for female athletes.

The good news is that Billie Jean King and other women continue to fight for opportunities for women in sports. And Billie Jean is relentless in her promotion of the game of tennis. Her World Team Tennis, which features top male and female stars playing together in a co-ed team format, celebrated their 30th season last year.

Congratulations Billie. The recognition at the new USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is much deserved and will be a lasting testament to your hard work and ground-breaking efforts.