Billie Jean King says WTA remains a leader in women's sports after record-breaking £37.5m-a-year Mercedes partnership.
"It's extraordinary," said King, "It's not just about women's tennis, it's about what's happening for women and people that have less, really, and it's amazing."
King founded the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) in 1973 with a mission statement that aimed to give any girl born into the world the opportunity to compete if she was good enough. "We didn't have that," King said.
The WTA has come a long way since then, and its latest partnership with Mercedes-Benz is a testament to its commitment to women's sports. The deal is worth £37.5m per year for up to 10 years and is the largest in women's sport.
King believes that the partnership will help increase women's participation in tennis. "It's an amazing partnership," she said, "Psychologically, it's also asking me a lot of questions. We can tell the story again about women's tennis, about sponsorship, about being a leader."
For King, the WTA is not just a governing body for women's tennis but also a symbol of social change. "We're still leaders in women's sports," she said.
The partnership comes as 44-year-old Serena Williams has re-registered with tennis' drug-testing body, sparking rumors of her dramatic return to the tour. King met Williams when she was six years old and has always been a fan of her serve. "Her serve is so perfect technically," King said.
However, King believes that the current Battle of the Sexes match between Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios is different from her own match against Bobby Riggs in 1973. "It's not about social justice, it's about entertainment," she said.
Despite this, King hopes that the match will bring in revenue for both players. The fact that they can earn a significant amount of money playing tennis is a testament to the growth and popularity of women's sports.
The partnership between Mercedes-Benz and the WTA is just one example of how women's sports are on the rise. With more partnerships like this, it's likely that we will see even more talented players come into the sport in the years to come.
"It's extraordinary," said King, "It's not just about women's tennis, it's about what's happening for women and people that have less, really, and it's amazing."
King founded the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) in 1973 with a mission statement that aimed to give any girl born into the world the opportunity to compete if she was good enough. "We didn't have that," King said.
The WTA has come a long way since then, and its latest partnership with Mercedes-Benz is a testament to its commitment to women's sports. The deal is worth £37.5m per year for up to 10 years and is the largest in women's sport.
King believes that the partnership will help increase women's participation in tennis. "It's an amazing partnership," she said, "Psychologically, it's also asking me a lot of questions. We can tell the story again about women's tennis, about sponsorship, about being a leader."
For King, the WTA is not just a governing body for women's tennis but also a symbol of social change. "We're still leaders in women's sports," she said.
The partnership comes as 44-year-old Serena Williams has re-registered with tennis' drug-testing body, sparking rumors of her dramatic return to the tour. King met Williams when she was six years old and has always been a fan of her serve. "Her serve is so perfect technically," King said.
However, King believes that the current Battle of the Sexes match between Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios is different from her own match against Bobby Riggs in 1973. "It's not about social justice, it's about entertainment," she said.
Despite this, King hopes that the match will bring in revenue for both players. The fact that they can earn a significant amount of money playing tennis is a testament to the growth and popularity of women's sports.
The partnership between Mercedes-Benz and the WTA is just one example of how women's sports are on the rise. With more partnerships like this, it's likely that we will see even more talented players come into the sport in the years to come.
! Billie Jean King is literally a legend 
for creating the WTA back in 1973, and now it's like her dream has finally come true 
. The fact that they're giving women's tennis £37.5m-a-year is insane 
- it's not just about the sport itself, but about how it can impact people's lives, you know? 
It's all about equality and fairness for everyone, regardless of gender 
.
. I'm rooting for Aryna Sabalenka vs Nick Kyrgios though - it's gonna be a sick match 
! Overall, this partnership is like the ultimate win-win 
think wta has been trying to rebrand itself for a while now, all these new sponsorships and deals... sounds good on paper, but what's really going on? is it just about making money or is there something more to it? 
king seems genuinely excited about this partnership, but is she just being too nice? 
kyrgios vs sabalenka match... it's like wta wants us to forget about the original battle of the sexes, you know, the one where king took down riggs back in 73? seems like a clever PR move to me 
, Billie Jean King is literally speaking my language 
! The WTA partnership with Mercedes-Benz is a total game changer 
! It's amazing to see how far women's sports have come since she founded the association back in 1973 
! And can we talk about Serena Williams for a sec? 
. The Battle of the Sexes match is going to be lit 
!
. But seriously, its great to see the WTA and Mercedes working together to bring more opportunities for women players. And can we talk about Serena Williams re-joining tennis? She's a legend 
! The growth of women's sports is so inspiring and I'm loving the fact that we're seeing more talent coming into the sport 
It's amazing to see how far the WTA has come since King founded it back in 1973 
. This partnership is just the beginning of something big, and I'm super excited to see what the future holds for women's sports! 
. King's right, this partnership is gonna help increase participation in tennis, and that's a win for everyone 
. She was a total trailblazer! The fact that now they're raking in £37.5m/year is insane. it's not just about tennis, it's about giving more opportunities to people who deserve them 
. Anyway, I think this partnership is just the beginning of something amazing for women's sports 
it's amazing that the WTA is getting this huge deal - it's gonna bring more attention to women's tennis and maybe even inspire some new players to get into the game 
️ The impact of these deals will not only increase participation but also break down barriers for future generations of female athletes.
I love how she talks about how this partnership with Mercedes-Benz is not just about tennis, but also about empowering women and people from less fortunate backgrounds 
.
Like, Billie Jean King said they're not just giving opportunities to girls from rich backgrounds 
, but also to those who have less. That's so beautiful! 
her serve is literally iconic 
. Billie Jean King's determination was truly inspiring! I'm so proud to see the WTA has come a long way since its inception in 1973. The £37.5m-a-year partnership with Mercedes-Benz is a huge win for women's tennis and it's amazing to see how far we've come 