Serve On SI

Billie Jean King Calls On Coco Gauff to Lead in Women's Sports

Billie Jean King called on a new generation of leadership in women's sports.

Pat Benson

Sep 9, 2023; Flushing, NY, USA; Coco Gauff of the United States celebrates with the championship trophy next to tennis hall of fame member Billie Jean King (R) after her match against Aryna Sabalenka (not pictured) in the women's singles final on day thirteen of the 2023 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center.
Sep 9, 2023; Flushing, NY, USA; Coco Gauff of the United States celebrates with the championship trophy next to tennis hall of fame member Billie Jean King (R) after her match against Aryna Sabalenka (not pictured) in the women's singles final on day thirteen of the 2023 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center. / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

No athlete walking the earth has a more impressive history of activism than Billie Jean King. The former World No. 1 tennis player has been a pioneer for gender equality since the 1960s.

King's unmatched resume dates back to winning the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year in 1967 and becoming the first female athlete ever to be named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year in 1972.

In short, when King speaks, everyone should listen. The tennis legend recently participated in an interview with Sarah Spain on the latest episode of Good Game with Sarah Spain, from iHeartPodcasts' Women's Sports Audio Network.

Around the 58-minute mark, Spain asked the question that so many people want to know, "Who is the next Billie Jean King?"

King complimented the work of Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe, and Julie Foudy. However, King wants more representation.

"But I need women of color to get in there. And they got to think about it in terms of 'we.' You cannot say I or I'm just going to help Blacks or I'm just going to help whites. You cannot do that. You got to help everybody," said King.

She continued, "Whatever sport you're in, you need to be inclusive as much as you can, and some sports are much harder. Tennis is all white. We've had to work hard, you know." King then named one specific player she wants to see lead.

"But which woman of color? I was always hoping Coco Gauff because she gave a great speech when she was about sixteen in Florida. I heard her and I thought, 'Oh, she's the one.' The big thing is most athletes don't want to truly learn the history and truly learn how to be inclusive," said King.

This is not the first time that King has name-checked Gauff. In a 2023 interview with People, King said, "When I see her, she's the reason we fought so hard 50 years ago. I think she's such a force. It comes from her grandmother. Her grandmother was the first Black child to go to an all-white school in Delray.

To hear her story, if you're a granddaughter & you're hearing your grandmother talk about going to a white school, being the only Black child, I think she's such a force. I want her to be happy, number one. She's really exciting to watch and a great athlete," said King.

Gauff finished the 2024 season with a bang. She won the 2024 WTA Finals title and finished World No. 3 with a record of 52-16 with three singles tites. Additionally, the 20-year-old was a flagbearer for Team USA at the Paris Summer Olympics.

Tennis fans can follow Sports Illustrated's Serve on SI for all the most important news from the sport.

More Tennis News

Published |Modified
Pat Benson
PAT BENSON

Pat Benson covers the sneaker industry for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Previously, he has reported on the NBA, authored "Kobe Bryant's Sneaker History (1996-2020)," and interviewed some of the biggest names in the sports world. You can email him at 1989patbenson@gmail.com.

Home/News