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WTT Philadelphia Freedoms

The OSC Interview: World TeamTennis Co-Founder Billie Jean King

by Fran Stuchbury
July 30, 2015 - World TeamTennis (WTT)
Philadelphia Freedoms


Fran Stuchbury and Billie Jean King
Fran Stuchbury and Billie Jean King
(Philadelphia Freedoms)

With World TeamTennis celebrating its 40th season this year, OurSports Central contributor Fran Stuchbury spoke to WTT co-founder and owner of the Philadelphia Freedoms Billie Jean King. Already a successful professional player, King became a player-coach for the Freedoms in its inaugural season in 1974 and was named the league's first MVP. In 1984, King played her final WTT match for the Chicago Fyre and then became the first female commissioner in professional sports history.

As a player, King won 39 Grand Slam singles, doubles and mixed doubles tennis titles including a record 20 titles at Wimbledon. In 2006 the USTA National Tennis Center, home of the U.S Open, was renamed the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. As a 29-year-old in 1973, she defeated 55-year-old Bobby Riggs in the so-called "Battle of the Sexes" exhibition match played before a worldwide television audience estimated at 50-90 million people.

Fran Stuchbury: Back in 1974 when the Philadelphia Freedoms played in the inaugural season of World TeamTennis how did the team gets its nickname?

Billie Jean King: I got to choose the name. The Philadelphia Inquirer did a contest and I got to choose from a short list. It took three days to decide between the Freedoms and Liberty but I wanted the Freedoms, which was my first initial instinct. I always loved the word Freedoms since I was in elementary school. It meant a lot living in the United States and having freedom. I told the team's majority investor Dick Butera I wanted Freedoms and he said great and that's the name went by.

FS: During the July 22nd home game against the Washington Kastles, Serena Williams was unable to play for the Kastles due to an injury. You made the speech emphasizing WTT is not an individual sport, it was a team sport. It was the largest crowd the Freedoms had this season, and they defeated the Kastles 18-16. The fans were loud and none of them left the game early because Serena Williams did not play. You must have been happy about that.

BJK: A lot of times when we don't have the ultimate marquee player like Serena Williams who was number one in the world, sometimes the matches are much tighter and closer. Also you haven't disrupted the chemistry of the team. It's a plus and a minus sometimes depending upon the situation. They still are the biggest ticket; big names sell tickets whether it basketball, football, it doesn't matter. Names sell tickets.

FS: John Isner who is the number one ranked American in tennis plays for the Springfield Lasers said he likes playing WTT because in the French Open you play on clay, in Wimbledon you play on grass. In WTT it helps him get ready for the US Open because they play on a hard court like WTT does. Do other players feel the same way?

BJK: We purposely have the same DecoTurf court that they have at the US Open so when they get here, they know they are not missing out because of the surface. We feel that is very important; it is part of the summer hard court season.

FS: Are you glad a lot of the younger tennis players are competing in WTT and that it helps them improve their games?

BJK: For instance the Freedoms have Taylor Townsend, who is 19 years old. All the way up through Robby Ginepri who is 32. That is a pretty big spread, and the older ones are great for mentoring, while the younger ones give so much energy to the game. Ginepri and Marcelo Melo, who is 31, has always been great at giving proper advice and emotional support.

It's amazing the friendships you make on the team; they are very tight and they are always on time which is amazing. When we are at the US Open you will go to the players' lounge and see the teams sitting at tables together.

FS: You are a competitor. You have won 39 Grand Slam titles. How much would it mean to you and the city of Philadelphia for the Freedoms to win their first King Trophy since the 2006 season?

BJK: It would be great. The Washington Kastles have been winning too long, four championships in a row. It would be nice to see another team step up this season and win the King Trophy. It would be great if it was the Freedoms.

FS: Are you happy with the job CEO/Commissioner Ilana Kloss has done with WTT?

BJK: She has done a great job; she is very good at sponsorships, and she is very good of taking care of clients. We end up having friendships, taking care of people all the time. We have suites at the US Open and take care of our sponsors, customers, and charities. We try to help. We try to get a lot done all the time.

FS: Does having the WTT Championship this Sunday start on ESPN3 at 11:30 am ET and then be joined in progress on ESPN2 at 1:00 pm get a little confusing for WTT fans that plan to watch the match or is that not a big deal?

BJK: It's not a big deal; we have to see how it goes with ESPN, and we are only in the second year of a four-year contract. We can always go back and talk to them and figure that out. It's a hard day because a lot of tennis is on. I just think ESPN3 is important; it's the television now. Especially the kids, they say they don't watch TV: they watch ESPN3. Streaming is huge now, and that's only going to get bigger and bigger.

I personally would like to spend more money in the digital area, but sponsors still want TV. You have to pay attention to both sides and try to make everybody happy.

FS: Is WTT looking at adding expansion teams next season?

BJK: Yes, but only if we get a good owners. If we spend all of our time on a bad owner then we don't spend enough time on the owners we should be. The ones doing a good job, you should give them more time and energy. When you get the occasional bad one, it takes all your time and effort to work with them. It's not that easy; the front office is vital. I think if you look at football, basketball and baseball, the front office is absolutely vital first and then you go from there.

FS: On October 12th, WTT is doing a charity event in Las Vegas courtesy of you and Sir Elton John. Andre Agassi, Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova and Andy Roddick will headline Smash Hits at Caesars Palace. Is Las Vegas being considered for an expansion team?

BJK: We are trying to make it easier on Elton this year, since we play Smashes on that Monday and he opens at Caesars that Tuesday. We wanted to keep it easy for him. Andre Agassi and his wife Stefanie Graf are supportive of us and they said whenever you come to Las Vegas, we will do anything we can to help you.

FS: Would WTT be in better shape if they had more owners like Washington Kastles owner Mark Ein?

BJK: Absolutely, Mark Ein is totally committed not only to the team but to the community. He gives a lot to the kids. When Serena or Venus (Williams) gives a tennis clinic, they always talk about when they met us. When they were kids, we had a TeamTennis clinic at Long Beach, California. They always talked about us. The reasons they do these clinics is because the Freedoms did a clinic for me. So that's the next generation, that's what I want to hear.

FS: Can you talk about some of the things WTT does year round to promote the league?

BJK: We just had our junior nationals at the San Diego Aviators match. We just had a big fund-raiser for Cancer Treatment Centers of America in the spring. It helps families who can't afford to pay their bills; we think that is really important. The Freedoms do promotions at Hunting Park; we have given money to them. We do clinics for kids and have adult recreational tennis leagues all over the country. In November we do that at Indian Wells in California. We do everything we can for WTT to keep its presence year round.

FS: For fans that haven't been to a WTT match, why should they attend?

BJK: People should be coming; tennis people are a given. If they are truly traditionalist, they probably won't like it in the beginning, but what happens to them is they get to know the players. The one thing about WTT is you're not out of it if you lose a match; you get to play the next night. In tennis tournaments, 50% are knocked out of the first round and 75% are knocked out by the end of the second round.

When the audience comes enough times, they have favorite players they love. So that's important. If you're a basketball player, which was my favorite sport growing up, tennis was not on my radar at all at that time. If you like any team sports, you're going t love WTT because it is extreme. You don't have to keep quiet - you can yell and scream, whatever you want to do. This is more like a basketball game; we have music, we have names on the back of our shirts and we do all the things to make it fan friendly.

It's great for you to bring your children, they are huge to us, and access is absolutely for the children, keeping them and adults into the game. When they return to the game, they get some excitement. Also we're in the community, our job is to improve this community. We need them to come and buy tickets; we really need to get more children into playing tennis. A lot of people don't realize the layers that are involved. We try to explain it; we are celebrating our 40th season, and it speaks for itself.




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Fran Stuchbury and Billie Jean King
Fran Stuchbury and Billie Jean King
   

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