USTA MEDIA CONFERENCE

March 11, 2002

Billie Jean King

BRUCE LEVY: Welcome everybody. This is the USTA Fed Cup conference call with Billie Jean King, the captain of the US Fed Cup team. We are pleased to announce that we are going to be playing Fed Cup, as you may know already, at the Olde Providence Racket Club in Charlotte, North Carolina April 27th through 28ht. We are going to be playing Austria. At this time I am pleased to introduce Billie Jean King the captain of the US Fed Cup team.

BILLIE JEAN KING: Thanks a lot, Bruce. Sorry about my voice, I am getting over a cold but I am fine. I just wanted to thank everyone for being on this call. I am very excited about coming back to North Carolina, particularly Olde Providence. A lot of history for all of us. I obviously got to play there, but so many of our great players got to play Olde Providence. Charlotte has been such a wonderful city for us. In North Carolina we have also have had great support when we played in Wilmington, North Carolina, we played the French and then when we played Croatia last year in Raleigh or two years ago in Raleigh, and they are always sold out, so we are looking forward to Charlotte being sold out as well. So always had good support in North Carolina; look forward tomorrow to going to Charlotte. We can open it up to questions.

BILLIE JEAN KING: Well, to answer your first question I am talking to all the players right now, the players' agents, the parents, whatever it takes to communicate with the players and to find out if they are available. I have asked them to tell me in the next week and a half or so so we should be able to tell you what is happening pretty quickly in the next -- in another couple of weeks we should certainly know what is going on. But yes, I have been talking to the players. Nobody has said no yet, so that's good news and just thinking about it. I think it's a good time of the year for us because the players are still fresh. To be honest with you, I have a harder time at the end of the year getting players, so I think that bodes well for us coming to Charlotte. To answer the second question, I just think it shows how strong women's tennis is to have the No. 1 ranking continuously to keep changing. There, for a while, people thought Hingis had been No. 1 for too long. You had Williams, you had different people winning Majors; why weren't they. But the system does work and I think it shows now how well it does work with the rankings changing by the week. The one player I know who cannot make it would be Lindsay Davenport. She is still recovering from an injury. She had knee surgery in January, and she's not even weight-bearing yet. She's still on crutches, and she will start to be weight-bearing in another couple of weeks. So that's the one player I know that will not be able to, but she definitely wishes she could have because she would have been there. That's just too bad. We hope Lindsay recovers and can get back on the courts.

BILLIE JEAN KING: We have a lot -- as juniors we didn't get along that well in the beginning when we first met and we used to have the umpires come out and watch our matches because it was rough, and then we played doubles together and had a great time. One of the most memorable times we played Fed Cup down in Australia, actually the USTA wasn't even going to send a team Carole and I said we are just going to go down and represent our country. That was in the old days when things weren't very organized and there was no money. I think it was '65, so we went down there and when we played there's only two of us, so one of us would sit on the court when the other one was going to play. Unfortunately it was 135 degrees fahrenheit in that year. Our faces were all blistered, and I couldn't even sit on the court with Carole when she played and she couldn't when I played. We just sat in the locker room listening to the score dying the whole time. But it was rough. It was really rough. We didn't end up winning but still we wanted the United States represented in Fed Cup. She and I always remember that it was 135 degrees. But we also played on the first Fed Cup team ever in 1963 when the Federation -- It was Federation Cup at that time. It is Fed Cup now, Darlene Hard who was No. 1 in the country and Carole Graebner and I -- well Carole Caldwell then, her maiden name. That was one of the most thrilling things that ever happened to us because I ended up playing with Darlene Hard in the final match. We were down, I think, three matchpoints before we ended up winning against Lesley Turner and Margaret Court of Australia. Because it was an inaugural event. It was so important to me personally that we win because I knew we would be making history being the first one. And I also think it is good to kind of like start off with a good foot like that. So by winning after being down all those matchpoints, that was pretty exciting moments for all of us. We are going to have a great time. We always do. I must say people in North Carolina at least Wilmington and Raleigh. Raleigh was sold out and that was a last minute thing because at that time we were playing Croatia. We were really supposed to play in Croatia and there was no way we were going to go over there with all these planes flying nearby, bombing different communities, so at the last minute Karen Scott and everybody in Raleigh came through big. They filled that stadium and they only had about a two week notice. So I just -- people in North Carolina have been unbelievable.

BILLIE JEAN KING: Well, I am going to be honest Patrick and I talked about this. It really has nothing to do with us. It's really ---

BILLIE JEAN KING: It really gets down to whether the player wants to play or not. I think Patrick did a great job by taking his point of view and saying you know what, I am not going to get to talk to you guys. I am concentrating on the young ones. That's what you have to do if the top ones don't start to come through. What's happened is now Sampras wants to come back. I think by just leaving them out and saying, look, if you don't want to play -- I would tell a player if you don't want to play for your country this week or whatever your reasons are, that's fine, but just tell me yes or no and we'll live with it. I think Patrick did a great job of that too. You can only try so hard and beg so much and then you have to like put your foot down and say, look, you don't want to play; then we are going to go to the younger ones. That's my philosophy too. I think -- but we have been just very fortunate, for some reason, the American top women have the sense of country and they want to play and they always don't play either, believe me, it is not that easy.

BILLIE JEAN KING: Monica tends to just say: I will be there. Occasionally if it comes to an injury -- see, what happens, a lot of the players sometimes are injured and if they have an injury or something going on that presents a problem -- Monica has just been exceptional as far as saying if you want me, I will be there. That's the kind of carte blanche you want with the players because then I know what is happening. There is consistency there. Monica seems to be very nationalistic. I think when you become an American citizen you've come from a different country, I don't know, I think there's even sometimes a stronger sense of opportunity and understanding of what they have and I think that sometimes make a difference too. You will find that most of the great players, a lot of them are first generation Americans a lot of times, if you look, you know, Monica, or Capriati actually a first generation American because Stephano is Italian. You have people like Agassi, Sampras, Chang, you look at a lot of these young people and I find that's huge. Or you find People of Color sometimes because there hasn't been a huge amount of People of Color in our sport that they tend to have a sense of understanding that it's interesting. Not always. I mean, everyone is different, just like Lindsay Davenport grew up in an Olympic family culture, like her dad played in the Olympics. So having exposure to a parent playing in the Olympics that's why for Lindsay Davenport winning the Olympics was so important to her. So I think it's just for your own personal experiences or what your parents have talked about, like my parents being of the Depression era, always talking about how tough it was, and I think that if a child listens to oral history I think it means a lot. It's like the Williams sisters always learning about Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe people like that that have meant -- I mean, like somebody asked Venus Williams being ranked No. 1 being the first African-American woman and she said: No, no, you forgot about Althea Gibson. That means somebody didn't even know history. I think that was pretty nice, you know, she -- it was good. She thought -- she knew that Althea was the first -- she's the one that talked to the press, the media, so I thought that was pretty nice. I like that.

BILLIE JEAN KING: Well, you are right. I think we do need to stick to whatever it may be. This format with it being three weeks is tougher on the players because the demands on their time playing the WTA Tour as well as the Majors, it's very difficult for them. On the other hand, they do say to me and I know from my point of view I prefer having them more often as a team because it does create a tighter, better bonding experience like the men have four weeks. I think it really is helpful. It's very hard on me when we only play once a year to get any sense of team - like they come together quickly; they are supposed to be a team quickly. This way we can cultivate it over the year. Now, what is the right format? What is the right schedule? That's a whole -- another discussion which would take too long in this press conference, but I do like the fact that I will have a chance, if we keep winning, when we keep winning, right, then we will get to see them three times this year and they get to see each other three times and they will be a real sense of team. So this format, I find it much better. Also if we are working on something, part of their game, I find this format with three weeks is better, can truly make a difference. I think we have made a difference in their lives as far as players. I think we made them better players. It's not just about Fed Cup. It is also what do they get out of it in relationships, getting to know the other players from a different point of view; not just as an opponent but as a friend and as colleague and as a team player. I think it is of vital importance. But as far as -- it's the scheduling thing. It's not that the players don't want to do -- can't do everything. If you talk to an athletic trainer or physiotherapist or doctor they will tell you that a player, the best thing for players to play three weeks, never over three weeks; then take at least a week or two off. So that becomes difficult because they are supposed to have time off too so they don't get too tired or injured. We have a very, very long year.

BILLIE JEAN KING: Yes, I think they do have to commit to answer your question. I think you have to remember Davis Cup started in 1900. We started in 1963. So we are 63 years -- I may be wrong. Is 1900 right?

BILLIE JEAN KING: We are 63 years behind them just right there and we keep changing our format. So I think you are going to have to give us probably another good 40 to 50 years to ask that question. I won't be alive. You won't be asking me the question. Women sports in general is so young and I don't think people understand that. They just haven't quite -- they don't understand how young we are. It is just impossible to compare. We are like apples and oranges, men's sports and women's spots. We are so young and do I think it could be? Yeah. But it will take a lot better promotion. It will take a lot better -- I think your commitment factor what you talked about is important that women throughout the world make the commitment factor and don't hold a gun to the Federation. Sometimes some of these players have been asking for $2 million to play, I think we have got to get real, and I think -- but we could we be as popular? Yes.

BILLIE JEAN KING: Extremely.

BILLIE JEAN KING: Oh, my goodness. Are you kidding, yeah. You look our top women have been there over the last, five, six, seven -- actually over the history Fed Cup, you look at all the top women players that have played in that they are very nationalistic. Once they get to Charlotte, they are like, okay, let's go, we got to win this for the USA, let's do it. Oh, yeah, they are very nationalistic, extremely. But you also have -- sometimes you have people because of their religious beliefs aren't going to be as nationalistic too. And I have to honor that as well. So everyone comes from different places. I am extremely nationalistic. I am ridiculous, don't get me started. But I am also very international thinking depends on what we are talking about.

BILLIE JEAN KING: Hi, Mike. That's great. I am looking forward to it because I have always had so much fun down there I.

BILLIE JEAN KING: Yeah, World Team Sports is fantastic. I am glad they are involved. I am glad you got them involved because they have been so wonderful.

BILLIE JEAN KING: That's great.

BILLIE JEAN KING: That's wonderful.

BILLIE JEAN KING: That's great. Don't you love those glasses?

BILLIE JEAN KING: 1967 glasses, everybody, are scary things. We only used to have about two choices every time I look at glasses, I think of all the choices the frames, you know, I just look at -- I can't believe the choices today because back in the old days I had two choices literally and they were pretty scary looking. Now they are back. It's fun. In fact, I bought a purple pair of frames. Geez, I got to remember to bring those, oh wow, I have got to remember to bring those. Too bad they are not red or blue though, or white.

BILLIE JEAN KING: Thank you, everyone, I really appreciate the fact that you got World Team there. It's a great charity and they do a lot of great work. And also we'll see everybody - I just want to thank everybody. I want to thank the people from Pepsi because without sponsorship it doesn't happen, we all know that, in sports - in everything really. So look forward to being down there. Been down there a lot through Tournament Tennis, through Team Tennis, been there a lot.

BILLIE JEAN KING: Thank you, Mike. I look forward to seeing you and everyone. Thank you very much.

BILLIE JEAN KING: Well, the main point is Title 9 in 1972 - June 23, 1972, when Title 9 was passed. That is the biggest difference. You have to remember that girls never got athletic scholarships before the fall of 1972. That's incredible when you think about it. We still are $150 million behind every year in scholarships over the last ten years. That makes it 1.5 billion dollars behind in scholarship money even though we had this Title 9 passing. What it really means is it hasn't been enforced. A lot of schools are not in compliance with it. So that's the driving force. It equal opportunity. It equaled better coaching which equals better fundamentals, better fundamentals and opportunity equal winners. And interest as well. It gave girls something to focus on. In 1970 one out of every 27 collegiate athletes were women. Now we are at, I think, I think if I have it right, almost at 40%. Might be 34. It is either 34 or 40, I am not sure. I keep getting it a little confused. It is growing. We are by far definitely the fastest, the girls sports are growing faster than boys sports; that's to be expected because we are so far behind. That's the No. 1 reason, I think, actually me beating Bobby Riggs was helpful because I -- remember that was 1973 after Title 9. It kept the momentum going of thinking that girls should have opportunity. Also young boys who watched that match when I played Riggs are now in their late 30s, 40s and early 50s, they are the first generation of men, I call them, of the women's movement, and they now -- these fathers that have daughters now insist that their daughters have equal opportunity with their sons. So the men that grew up as young people in the '70s, it's really amazing how important these men have been in helping their daughters in assisting of their daughters and sons have equal opportunity. That's huge because these men are now CEO's. They drive the school systems. They help -- the mothers now, because they have been around sports a lot more, are more willing to coach their children, both boys and girls, which usually that was always left up to just the dads. That's made a huge difference. And just -- I think, where women's tennis has been helpful is we have been the leader. We always -- for whatever reason, we are just very fortunate when we started women's professional tennis, we had Phillip Morris, Gladys Heldman, we had all the factors. Jerry Diamond. I hired him when Women's Tennis Association was $35,000 in the hole. I got Jerry Diamond to be our executive director. We went from $350,000 in total prize money to 11 million very quickly because of his negotiations. He was somebody who so good at negotiating. And those are huge factors in our sport but we keep -- we kept leading in that we had more money. We have international opportunity. I think Fed Cup is a good example of how much we have grown. In the old days we only had Wightman Cup. That was only USA versus Britain and the reason women's tennis truly was not international the way it is today. So also the national governing bodies has made a big difference throughout the world in that now because the Olympics are including women, more and more, more events for women, that encourages the national governing bodies of different sports who work with the governments so much outside of the United States -- what the United States people don't understand is that it's the government that really drives the sports in most other countries and so the national governing bodies because the Olympics are saying we want more women's events and accepting that, then the percentage of women in the Olympics has gone up just unbelievably. I think we are almost 50/50 down in the summer. We are getting there. So that's another driving force is when these government starts to say well, we are going to start worrying about the girls, being active and having opportunity in organized sports just like the boys. It's very important to always help both boys and girls, I think, and I think the world is getting closer and closer to that way of thinking. It going to take centuries but it is getting better. I think with the war with Afghanistan, people are understanding how women are still treated so badly and abusively and it has got to stop. Just has to stop because we are all people and injustice for boys and girls, we have to help.

BILLIE JEAN KING: Well, I think it changed men's perception, just like I said with the young boys I mentioned earlier, particularly now they have daughters in today's society. Also I think it helped women -- I mean, this is what people tell me everyday so I am just going on what people tell me, they just tell me that for some reason they just had more self -- they had more self esteem and more courage to ask for what they want and what they need and to really go for it. Those are the stories I hear day in and day out since that match, probably every day of my life when I am out in the public I hear at last one person who has enough courage to come up to me and say, Billie, I just want to thank you and -- men and women, it's very interesting. Or they say my parents told me about it. So I think it was a mind shift. I think with Title 9 being passed in '72; then me playing Bobby, at the height of the women's movement I think those are the good things that have come -- some of the good things that have come from those very chaotic tumultuous times that we all had to live through in the early '70s, things were very difficult for all of us especially with the Vietnam War that was really -- I think really hard on everybody. Watergate was heating up and a lot of things going on.

BILLIE JEAN KING: This is very interesting because my first time coming back to be Fed Cup captain after many years, I was back in the old days when Tracey Austin was playing and, and we played Austria at Turnberry, and there's this young player that played, her name Barbara Schett . She was pretty erratic, but she was tough. And I just remembered putting that -- I thought oh, that one is going to be tough and sure enough. She's a hard hitter. She can -- she plays well enough to upset everybody at a given time, and I think she is obviously the most dangerous one. Of course we have to know who exactly is playing. No one has announced their teams. But she's definitely the one and of course Barbara Schwartz is another good player. But Schett is good all-court player, hits the ball very hard. She goes for it. She can be streaky, so if she gets on a good streak we are in trouble. I just don't want her to play too well. I am kidding. I want her to play well. We can do it. They have a very good team. Last time we played them, we played them in Salzburg, Australia three years ago, actually 1996 and we barely beat them. It was 3-2. So tight. I cannot tell you. I thought I was going to die, it was just so tight. Down to the last match. Last match was really close. We had Gigi Fernandez and Mario Fernandez playing. They were the best players, best team in the world at that time. We barely won the doubles. Mary Joe Fernandez is such a star at that tie. Now she's retired and doing ESPN, when you hear Pam Shriver and Mary Joe, that's the Mary Joe Fernandez person who was playing and Mary Joe just had a little baby. Isabella Maria, so, I just remember that match and how tough it was when we played. We played actually where the Sound of Music was film in Austria. It was beautiful.

BILLIE JEAN KING: I was down in Australia announcing for channel 7 in Australia. What happened was Venus, she got injured. She injured first -- her left knee was bothering her. Then she injured her right thigh. So she was playing at about 50% but she didn't give up which I thought was admirable. She didn't default. She played actually very, very well. I couldn't believe how well she actually did play. But Monica was out of her mind. Monica loves Australia. Monica only lost two matches at the Australian Open in singles; that gives you an idea. I think she's won 4 Australia opens. And what happens to Venus in the fall, she goes to this design school. I think Design Institute of Ft. Lauderdale, I think it is called, she goes to school in the fall so she doesn't really practice very much. So at the beginning of the year she's always rusty and so I don't think she plays enough before the Australian Open or really gets organized that quickly because she's been in school.

BILLIE JEAN KING: Obviously when 9-11 happened we had some concern. We had some concern a little bit before that, but when 9-11 happened then we went into high alert. We were working -- the USTA I want to say we, I really didn't do it personally, but they were in touch with the F.B.I. and the -- I want to say State Department but that's wrong, F.B.I. for sure, trying to keep up with what was going on because I guess of course after the fact we knew exactly what was going on. There were cells in Madrid. That's why I was told -- at the time they didn't tell me exactly but they said there's a problem in Madrid, and then we started to see some unpredictability there with some bombing of cars and things, and they really felt -- they told the USTA we definitely should not go and we would be on high alert as a team. As individuals, it's different but when as a team and you are waiving your flag, we would be an absolute ideal target for those cells. They were the ones who told us not to go. I was ready to go. Some of the women were already in Europe. In fact I went to Germany, to the WTA Championships to tell them hello, I am not afraid to come to Europe, I'd go to Spain, that's fine, but we were told not to go as a team because of the team situation, because the nationalistic point of view, and it would be total beautiful target for different cells that are in Spain. Two weeks after there were actually a lot of problems. I don't know if you saw the capturing of about six men over there, so I think it was the right decision for that moment. Yes, do we always consider it? Yes we were going to play in Croatia, what was it Bruce, two years ago.

BILLIE JEAN KING: We ended up playing in Raleigh. That's what I was talking about earlier in the conference. Of course I think the safety of our players is No. 1. Do we always want to go? Yeah, I am always ready to go. I always want to take a team, but if I am told by my boss, USTA and they get their information from sources in Washington, I mean, you have to listen. Because we don't know all of the things that are going on.

BILLIE JEAN KING: Yes, I think we were very upset we didn't go. It was very sad. United States has played in every Fed Cup since 1963. We don't like to not -- we are not a no-show kind of people. We show up. We play. We win. If we don't win hopefully we are good sports. But we want to play and if we do win here, or I should say when we win, in Charlotte at the Olde Providence Club, that we'll have to play either Croatia or the Czech Republic and we do have to play over there in July. So it should be okay. We plan on going, that's for sure. There has been no discussion whatsoever of not going. It has been only discussion of we have to win first in Charlotte before we think about it. But we are definitely going. At this time we plan to bring back the Cup to the United States of America. And Charlotte is our first stop.