Record-Holding Wimbledon Winner Advocates for Contentious Rule Changes in Tennis to Boost Game’s Appeal

Many experts consider Billie Jean King to be among the greatest tennis players of all time. The 80-year-old recently revealed some intriguing details about the improvements she would make to the game if given the chance.

Billie Jean King, the legendary American tennis player from the beginning of the Open era, presented three suggestions for increasing the popularity of this sport, which is already huge. With an estimated one billion fans, tennis has a large global following. Furthermore, the individual aspect of the sport, which features elite athletes from different nations competing one-on-one, gives a more intimate and global feel not just for watching but also for wagering. You can wager on every point, every game, and every set in tennis betting, which is one of its many wonderful features. Additionally, the betting options on the best tennis betting sites during major tournaments are just as thrilling as the actual matches.

King, the champion of 12 Grand Slam tournaments in singles, also known as a great fighter for women’s rights in tennis, recorded a video in which she stated her position. Wimbledon’s record winner (counting all competitions) started by saying that people kept asking her about the future of this game and what she’d change in tennis if asked. She warned everyone that some of the proposals might surprise them. King listed the three things she’d change about tennis in the post on X.

“Get Rid of 15, 30, 40 game”

The scoring system was the first item on her list.

“I can’t stand the scoring. I think it’s hard to get new people into the sport, particularly young people. I think we should get rid of the 15, 30, 40 game. We should have 1, 2, 3, 4. If you have to win by two, then at three all do two points in a row or whatever, but get rid of 15, 30,40.”

King also mentioned that she wanted to see tennis players wear jerseys with their numbers and names on them. The suggestion could be related to American football, which was among the first to introduce player names on equipment, back in the 1960s. From that moment, a real boom in buying jerseys started, and the earnings and popularity of football players increased significantly.

“Every player should have their name and a number on. Why? We need to promote our players like every other sport does. You look at basketball, you look at football, baseball, they have their name and their number.”

The last proposal refers to the difference in male and female competition, and it will most likely cause the strongest reactions. In order to guarantee that women receive equal media coverage, King would also like to see an equal number of sets played by men and women in tennis.

“I definitely want two out of three sets. Or we have to play the same amount, men and women. Because we’re getting paid by media content, and women always get shortchanged because of the content.”

First Woman in History of Sports to Earn 100k USD in single year

During her two decades on the court, King had an amazing career. 39 of the 129 trophies she won during her pro tenure were Grand Slams (12 in singles). She has continued to be actively interested in the sport even after retiring in 1990 with the status of the record holder in Wimbledon titles (20, counting singles, doubles, and mixed doubles).

King became the first female athlete in history to earn $100,000 in a single year. She founded the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) in 1973 and served as its first president, having previously had the top rating in the world (1966).

King was among the first female athletes to come out as homosexual and to support the rights of LGBT people (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender). The Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is the new name given to the US Open site in her honor.

King received the 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom, the American highest civilian award.