Tennis icon Billie Jean King hailed Coco Gauff’s “fantastic” first Grand Slam win at the US Open earlier this year as being a fitting victory on the 50th anniversary of equal pay for women in the tournament.
The 12-time Grand Slam singles champion – which includes four US Open wins – played a pivotal role in securing equal pay due to her activism off the court during her playing career.
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The Billie Jean King Cup Finals will take place in Seville next month with Gauff set to compete and in an exclusive interview with Sky Sports, King said she hoped the American’s efforts at Flushing Meadows will now help inspire the next generation of US tennis stars.
“It was fantastic,” King said of 19-year-old Gauff’s success. “We’ve all been very anxious for her to win a major.
“Her winning was very exciting. We were celebrating 50 years of equal prize money for women, so it was really appropriate that she won.
“She’s a really great kid. Although she’s not really a kid anymore, she’s starting to be an adult. She’s got a wonderful family and I was really happy for her.
“And it was great for the United States because when you have someone homegrown do well, like with Andy Murray for instance, [Emma] Raducanu, it helps get children into our sport. And that’s what I like; I want us to grow tennis.”
King hopes Raducanu can return to her best in 2024
As for Raducanu, herself a US Open champion in 2021 when only 18 years old, King hopes she can return to full fitness and back to her best in 2024.
Raducanu has been plagued by injuries since her stunning win in New York two years ago, missing out on three of the four Slams this season after undergoing surgery on her ankle and both of her wrists.
“We need Raducanu to be healthy, number one,” King said of the former British No 1.
“She’s a great person. She’s interested in the world around her, she can speak more than one language – she can speak Chinese because her mother’s Chinese. She’s somebody who I think is interesting as a human being.
“I’m interested in her next chapter and I want her to be really healthy so she can play tennis, because I know she loves to play. We’ll see how that goes.
“You’ve got to be healthy. If you’re not, you shouldn’t play, so I think they’ve done the right thing this year.”
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King was talking ahead of the finals of the Billie Jean King Cup in November, where 12 nations compete in Seville, Spain to become the 2023 champions.
The USA have won the competition previously known as the Federation Cup a record 18 times, with the Czech Republic next best on 11. Switzerland are the current holders after winning for the first time last year.
King, a pioneer for social justice, said: “It’s the World Cup. Ilana [Kloss] and I were in Australia watching the soccer [Women’s World Cup] and it was so exciting.
“This is our 60th anniversary of originally the Federation Cup and now the Billie Jean King Cup, which we’ll be celebrating. We want the next 60 to be better than ever.”
Gauff says it ‘means so much’ to lift the US Open trophy in front of her home crowd, and thanks her doubters for giving her extra motivation
As for who could emerge victorious by November 12, King added: “The Swiss won last year. They were amazing to watch.
“They’re the defending champions, so I want to see how they’re sizing up. Belinda Bencic was their leader, she’s won a gold at the Olympics [Tokyo 2020].
“The USA and the Czech Republic are the top two winners and Spain were always tough [winning five times].
“When I was captain of the US team, Spain were always beating us. Conchita Martinez, who is now our tournament director – she has been fantastic this whole year – and Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, they beat us all the time
“And then there’s so many other great countries. You never know who is going to win, because it’s a team event.
“It’s not quite the same as playing in a tournament, where I think you know, more than often, who’s going to win. This gets dodgy.”
BJK wants World Cup for tennis
Tennis great King would happily see the BJK Cup combined with the men’s Davis Cup into one World Cup of tennis
King said she would like to see the BJK Cup and its equivalent for men, the Davis Cup, be combined.
“I think it’s really important to have a World Cup for tennis,” King said. “The whole world understands a World Cup. They know it’s country versus country.
“I want us together, I always want the men and women together. I think we can enhance it and make more of a focus on us. I think people like it when we are all happy together.”
The Billie Jean King Cup Finals run from November 7-12 in Seville with 12 nations competing in Seville.
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