"Chris Evert and I made it a mission to cheer up the crowd" - Billie Jean King recalls the 1973 Wimbledon final
American tennis legend Billie Jean King recently recalled her 1973 Wimbledon final match against compatriot Chris Evert.
King successfully defended her title that year, defeating Evert in straight sets in the summit clash for her fifth Wimbledon crown.
The 12-time Grand Slam champion recently took to Instagram to share how she and Evert made it their mission to keep the fans happy and engaged during the rain-hit 1973 Wimbledon final.
"Keeping fans happy & engaged is vital to the success of sport," she wrote. "The 1973 Wimbledon singles final was on a rain delay. Chrissie Evert and I made it our mission to cheer up the crowds while they waited. The match was moved to the following day."
Chris Evert once revealed how Billie Jean King's interference made everyone on the tour like her
On the 'Design Matters with Debbie Millman' podcast in 2022, Chris Evert said that other players didn't speak to her during her first two years on the tour because she was beating everyone and getting all the media attention.
"Because I was getting all the press," Evert said. "I was on the cover of Newsweek. You know, I was the 'It girl'. Nobody had seen a young girl do so well until then."
"A young school girl, an all-American girl," she added. "I was the promoter's dream, I was the sponsor's dream and the reason was that the other women professionals had done all the work to provide a professional tour for 200-300 women. They had provided a way to support the sport and the women."
"They knocked on sponsors' doors and got great sponsorships. So they did all the work and I and I kind of came right in there and started beating them. Suddenly, I was getting all the attention. So I 100% understand why they felt the way they did."
The 18-time Grand Slam champion then revealed that Billie Jean King was the only one who wasn't threatened by her rise. She also said that King had a meeting with other players where she explained Evert's importance to everyone, and then everyone accepted her.
"There were some of them that were nice by the way," Evert said. "I wasn't there but supposedly, Billie Jean King had a meeting with the other players."
"She said 'listen, Chrissie is putting money in our pockets," she added. "She is bringing more people to the table, to the matches, she is bringing more sponsorship, more money, more publicity, more TV, and this is very important for the growth of the game of women's tennis. You are lucky that she's there'. I think that kind of changed their philosophy a little bit. King was the one person that wasn't threatened by me."
Chris Evert made her Grand Slam debut at the age of 16 at the 1971 US Open. She became the youngest semifinalist in US Open history that year, with her run coming to an end against eventual winner King.