Billie Jean King has spent her career as a ground-breaking pioneer advocating gender equality.
King founded World TeamTennis in 1974—the same year she founded the Women's Sports Foundation and a year after creating the WTA—to form a league where men and women could play tennis together as teammates.
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Now, the 73-year-old Hall of Famer is passing the World TeamTennis torch to a pair of league owner teammates.
King is selling her majority stake in the league to Mark Ein, Washington Kastles owner, and Fred Luddy, who owns the San Diego Aviators.
"After 42 seasons of World TeamTennis, Ilana (Kloss) and I feel this is the time to pass the baton to Mark Ein and Fred Luddy, and entrust the legacy of WTT as an innovative force in tennis to them and their team,” said King. “I will continue to be part of the league as a minority owner and as the owner of the Philadelphia Freedoms, and I am confident the league will continue to grow and prosper under Mark and Fred’s leadership.”
King formally announced the sale at a BNP Paribas Open press conference today.
“Owning and building the Kastles has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my life," Ein said. "The success we have enjoyed on and off the court will provide a template for how we can grow WTT across America with other like-minded owners that love tennis, want to make a profound impact in their communities and have the same opportunity of a lifetime that we have enjoyed. Succeeding a pioneer like Billie Jean King is an incredible honor and Fred and I are committed to significantly growing and building WTT 2.0 to thrill a new era of fans.”
The New Times writer Christopher Clarey first reported the sale today. Read the Times report here.
King, who is busy writing her memoir, will retain minority ownership in the league as well as majority ownership in the Philadelphia Freedoms, the only original team still competing in the six-team league.
Ilana Kloss, King's long-time partner, will remain WTT commissioner and chief executive through 2017.
"I'll be the minority owner, and now I can have fun worrying about the Freedoms, which is really going to be fun, rather than worrying about everybody," King told the Times. "I can only do so much now, but now my focus in my brain will be a little different, and I will definitely try to help the league with strategy and helping bring in new ownership or whatever Mark needs.
"He's the boss now, he and Fred, so it's 'What do you guys want?' I'm really excited, totally excited, because I want to make sure it continues after I'm gone."
Photo credit: Camerawork USA/WTT