Virus shutdown has exposed ‘inequities’ of tennis: King
mumbai -- Tennis great Billie Jean King says the financial fallout from the coronavirus shutdown has exposed the unfairness of the sport and that it is important for the top players to lead the cause for change.
The tennis season was suspended in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the shutdown will continue at least until mid-July, depriving lowerlevel players, who depend solely on tournament winnings, of the chance to earn a living.
The sport’s governing bodies have joined forces to devise plans to provide relief and 12-times Grand Slam singles champion King said the sport had the chance to emerge stronger from the health crisis.
“This is a good time to reset and to have one voice in the sport, which we really never had. We need that desperately,” King said. “Maybe some day, and I didn’t think it is possible, we might have a Commissioner. I don’t know. We are not the biggest sport in the world, we don’t have as much money as say soccer. So we need to stick together and everyone needs to help each other.
“The thing that’s also good is it shows the inequities that go on. So this is a good time to reset and think about how we want our sport to look in the future. What can we do to make it better, stronger and more secure?
“This is a really good chance to have a new normal for tennis.” While tennis is a lucrative sport for those at the top, those in the lower echelons often struggle to make ends meet.
The men’s ATP, the WTA, which runs the women’s circuit, the world governing body International Tennis Federation and the organisers of the four Grand Slams have come together to work on creating an emergency relief fund. -