Fed Cup to change name in honour of pioneer King

Billie Jean King’ s trailblazing role in tennis is being recognised with the rebranding of the Fed Cup in her name.

The biggest annual team competition in women’ s sport will now be known as the Billie Jean King Cup.

The announcement ties in with the 50th anniversary of King and eight other players, known as the “Original 9”, breaking from the tennis establishment to form their own circuit and leading to the foundation of the WTA.

King said :“It’ s very exciting. I’m still not sure it’ s true. Then my mind always turns to what I want to accomplish – let’s get going. It’s really an honour and I’m very grateful.

“I remember the first Federation Cup in 1963. I love history and I remember saying, ‘ We have to make it this year, we have to win the very first one, it’s historical’. And (my team-mates) were like, ‘OK, OK, already’. And we did win and it was really special. When I see the Fed Cup trophy today I look at the first one and I think about us. I remember how excited I was.”

King went on to win five more Fed Cup titles as a player, one as a player-captain and three as solely captain, making her the most successful individual in the competition’s history.

The name change comes ahead of the first edition of the new finals week – delayed from 2020 – which will take place next year in Budapest, with 12 teams battling for the trophy.

A prize money fund of $18 million (£13.7m) will be paid out, the biggest for an annual women’s team competition and equivalent to the Davis Cup.

King, who won 39 grand slam titles across singles and doubles, continues to champion women and fight for equality and it is no surprise she was hugely impressed by Naomi Osaka’ s stand against racial injustice on her way to lifting the US Open title last weekend. Osaka wore a different face mask for every match bearing the name of a black victim of violence.

King said: “She’s fantastic. I love the way she’s using our platform, tennis, as a way to help fight injustice.”