Wearing flocked jerseys, changing the points system, Billie Jean King gave her ideas for developing tennis and attracting a younger audience.
She wants to revolutionize her sport for better and for worse… Former women’s tennis legend Billie Jean King gave her ideas for “develop tennis and attract a younger audience”.
129 titles won including 39 Grand Slams, an indisputable legend that’s for sure, however to revolutionize tennis we have some reservations. Questioned on the sidelines of the competition that bears her name: «la Billie Jean King Cup» she suggested wearing jerseys or even changing the counting of points.
«I want to make it easy for the fans.”
First, she mentioned wearing jerseys with numbers and the names of players, based on the model of team sports. She also wants the point counting system to be easier to understand. “I want to make it easy for the fans”she explained. “I think we could do 1-2-3-4 and not 15-15, 30-30. Because for a child, what does that mean? If we want children aged 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 years old invested in our sport, we must make it accessible for them, not for 60-year-old fans.
To conclude, she has surely alienated part of the circuit by stigmatizing the players who complain about the repetition of matches. “They’ve been doing seasons like this forever, but then they have a month off and they go to play exhibitions. I say to myself: really? You said you needed rest so don’t tell me you find the season too long.” she concluded.
