Billie Jean King is quite possibly the most influential figure in the history of tennis.
King, a winner of 12 Grand Slam singles titles, was the leading figure in securing equal prize money for women during the 1970s.
King set up the Virginia Slims World Championship Series, which became the Women’s Tennis Association in 1973.
She also won the famous ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match against Bobby Riggs.
The American remains a prominent figure in tennis circles today, regularly offering her takes on the current affairs in tennis.
In 2024, King called for a significant change to the very fabric of the sport’s scoring system. This change is yet to be implemented.
Billie Jean King wanted to change the scoring system in tennis
At the end of 2024, Billie Jean King spoke to BBC Sport about the schedule, exhibitions and the location of the WTA Finals.
She also discussed the need to simplify the scoring system in tennis, in order to appeal to younger generations, rather than a ’60-year-old fan.’
“I would like to see names and numbers on the back of the shirt in tennis,” King said.
“I want to make it easy for fans. I think it should be 1-2-3-4 not 15-love, 30-love.
“If you are a kid – I didn’t come from tennis – what the heck does that mean? If we want to get eight, nine, 10, 11, 12-year-old children involved in our sport we have to make it accessible to them – not to a 60-year-old fan.”
This rule has not been implemented, and it is hard to imagine a significant change to the scoring system being enacted any time soon.
The current scoring system has been in place for hundreds of years, with some scholars estimating that the system was first introduced in the Middle Ages.
It seems unlikely that this system will be uprooted in the near future.
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Simply put, King’s argument is a fair one, but it may not have the widespread support needed to trigger change.
Billie Jean King’s last Grand Slam singles title
Billie Jean King, who called Arthur Ashe an ‘inspiration’, won her last Grand Slam singles title at the 1974 US Open.
King, who won her 12th major, defeated four American players on her way to the final before beating seven-time Grand Slam champion Evonne Goolagong. It was her fourth US Open title triumph.
As reported by the US Open, King said in 2018: “I don’t remember that match with Evonne that well— except how I was trying my guts out. I do remember these great rallies we had with both of us going to the net, lobbing, and going back up to the net. And we were playing on this court that had divots.
“They sprayed it with green spray out of a can. Your shoes would get sticky when you hit those green patches. There were some shocking bounces. We had a lot going on that day.”
More recently, King said: “I felt like a guardian angel had come down and helped me out. I remember standing there at the net shaking hands with Evonne.
“Somehow I had won. But I could not believe it, and I still can’t. I just don’t know how I won that match but I guess I was in the zone. It was a real thrill for me and I felt very fortunate to have won that US Open final.”
