Billie Jean King advocates tennis rules change that traditionalists ‘would hate’

The iconic Billie Jean King may have been at her peak in the 1960s and ’70s, but now the American wants tennis to ditch the age-old tradition. The American, who won 12 Grand Slam titles and has long advocated for equality in her sport, remains an influential figure in her sport.

And it’s not her own generation anymore, if the players or the fans seem like her main concern.

Instead, King called for a simpler scoring system for tennis to make the game more attractive to young people.

“I want to make it easy for the fans,” she said BBC. “I want it to be one, two, three, four. Not 15-0, 30-0. I mean, if I’m a kid, say I didn’t come from tennis, I’m like, what the hell does that mean?

When told that “traditionalists wouldn’t want to hear you say that”, the 80-year-old admitted her idea was controversial. “Oh no, they don’t agree with me at all, and I appreciate that,” she replied.

“But when you think about the average fan that we have, what age? And if we want to get eight, nine, 10, 11, 12-year-old kids into our sport, we have to make it accessible to them. Not for the 60-year-old fan or the 55-year-old fan … we have to grow the sport.”

That’s not the only change she wants to see in the professional game, she also wants tennis to mimic soccer. “I personally would like to see names and numbers on the back of the shirts in tennis, not just in team sports,” she added.

The game’s current scoring system is believed to have its origins in medieval France. According to United States Tennis Association rules, King’s proposal can be implemented, particularly in matches involving an inexperienced or non-English speaking player.

However, the provision is not recognized by the International Tennis Federation. And King’s proposal is sure to divide opinion if put forward by the game’s leadership.

Her comments come at a time when the name of the former world No. 1 is firmly in the spotlight. The final of the Billie Jean King Cup is currently being held in Malaga, and on Friday the Great Britain team won the quarter-finals, beating Germany.

The competition used to be called the Federation Cup, but in 2020 the name was changed in honor of the legendary king. It is considered the women’s equivalent of the men’s Davis Cup.