Billie Jean King: 'The WTA on its own was always Plan B'

Roger Federer's tweet about a possible unification between ATP and WTA found support from numerous colleagues. Billie Jean King, one of the supporters of the creation of the Women's Tennis Association in the 1970s, has never hidden her desire to see tennis governed by a single acronym.

“One voice, women and men together, has long been my vision,” she said. “The WTA on its own was always Plan B. I am glad we are on the same page. Let’s make it happen.”

ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi is also in favor of this proposal: “Recent cooperation between governing bodies has only strengthened my belief that a unified sport is the surest way to maximise our potential and deliver an optimal experience for fans on-site, on television and online.

To that end, I welcome the views of our players. Tennis has led the way when it comes to putting men and women together on the biggest stages. It’s one of our many strengths, and sets us apart from many other sports. We look forward to continued collaboration and discussions with the WTA and other stakeholders across all aspects of our business.”

"When things are going very well, no one wants to give up anything in any business. You can't get anyone to focus on change," Chris Kermode, executive chairman and president of the ATP from 2014 to 2019, told ESPN.com. "You tend to get people focusing on different ideas and potential changes when there's a crisis. So necessity drives a lot of these decisions."

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/35jLSZE