"Everything's about the fans - we've got to make it more simple for them to understand what the heck were doing"
Thursday 23 April 2020 12:52, UK
Billie Jean King believes the time is long overdue to bring the men's and women's games together as Roger Federer called for the ATP and WTA tours to merge.
King launched a campaign for equal prize money two years after the sport's Open Era began in 1968. She has wanted a unified governing body for men and women from the start.
"I heard about the men starting an association and I went to a lot of the guys and I said, 'Why don't we have one association, so we can all be together and we would be such a phenomena'," she said.
The Association of Tennis Professionals launched in 1972 and the Women's Tennis Association in 1973, in what King described as "Plan B".
Her hopes for a unified body were reignited when 20-time Grand Slam winner Federer expressed support for the idea.
I've always felt were stronger together, that's my whole philosophy.
"It just shows you culturally and generationally how the younger men today, they really do believe their daughters and sons should have equal opportunities," King said.
"I've always felt we're stronger together, that's my whole philosophy," said King. "When you get to know people, then you care more.
"In my day, the men culturally just could not wrap their heads around us ever making a dime."
King, 76, said she would like to see the different ranking systems in men's and women's tennis eliminated as part of a series of changes to simplify the game for fans.
"You know how they have these 1000s, 500 and 250s and then the women's have premiers. We need to throw all that out, we need to throw everything out and start over and have the same systems," said King.
"Everything's about the fans - we've got to make it more simple for them to understand what the heck were doing."
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