King's name to be added to National Tennis Center

• Recommend0
• Tweet0
• Comments0
• Email
• Print

NEW YORK -- Honoring Billie Jean King, the U.S. Tennis Association will rename the USTA National Tennis Center the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center during an opening-night ceremony at the U.S. Open.

"I still am in shock," King said Thursday. "As a product of the public parks, I am so honored."

King, the only woman to win U.S. singles titles on all four surfaces -- grass, clay, carpet and hardcourt -- won a record 20 Wimbledon titles and four U.S. Open championships.

Her mother, Betty Moffitt, attended the announcement at Arthur Ashe Stadium along with Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former Mayor David Dinkins.

"I'm very honored to be next to Arthur Ashe and to Louie Armstrong," said King, who joined Ashe as the Wimbledon singles champion in 1975. "That means a lot to me. Arthur and I were born the same year in 1943. We talked about all the things we wanted to happen for our sport but also for human rights."

The name change will take place during opening-night ceremonies on Aug. 28. The USTA board voted unanimously in mid-July to honor King, who helped form the Virginia Slims tour in 1970 and won 39 Grand Slam titles in her 15-year career.

Pete Sampras, a five-time U.S. Open winner, called it a fitting match.

"She's so respected from all walks of life," Sampras said. "It's fitting because of what Billie has done for the sport of tennis and sports in general. She's a legend."

King co-founded the WTA Tour, which now offers a total of $60 million in prize money at 63 events in 35 countries. She beat Bobby Riggs in the "Battle of the Sexes" in 1973 and co-founded World Team Tennis and the Women's Sports Foundation.

USTA chairman Franklin Johnson brought up the idea of renaming the center for King in March. He recently called her with the news.

"I didn't think I heard him right because I was at a Team Tennis match in Philadelphia," she said. "So I had him repeat it."

King grew up playing tennis in public parks in Long Beach, Calif.

The tennis center, which has 45 courts and is open to the public, is considered one of the most prominent sports facilities named for a woman.

"Hopefully, this will have an echoing effect," King said. "It's great that a women's name is on something this special, and I think it will send out a great message. It's been my fight for equal opportunity for boys and girls, that's really what I'm about."

The USTA passed up millions in potential naming rights to honor King.

"This was not about the money, this was about doing what was right," said Arlen Kantarian, chief executive of the USTA.

Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press

• Recommend0
• Tweet0
• Comments0
• Email
• Print
• Subscribe