Speaker 1: Hi everybody, and welcome to the Renee Stubbs Tennis Podcast.
Speaker 1: We are live literally live in Mulliga, Spain. May I
Speaker 1: just say before we get going with our wonderful two guests.
Speaker 2: Help.
Speaker 1: I've just been walking around the city of Mulligha, and
Speaker 1: if you haven't been, get your butts over here. It
Speaker 1: is goh yes, it is beautiful. It was so surprising.
Speaker 1: I thought it was going to be smaller than it
Speaker 1: was and it's just fantastic.
Speaker 2: So get over here. Get on a plane.
Speaker 1: It's not far. Was it like a six hour flight
Speaker 1: from New York. It's no excuses. It's better than flying
Speaker 1: to LA. But now that I've said that from somebody
Speaker 1: who does come from LA, got two amazing guests today here,
Speaker 1: of course, the week of the Billy Jean King Cup
Speaker 1: Alana Class and Billy Jean King.
Speaker 2: Hi, guys. Billy, you have been on the pod before.
Speaker 1: You are not a virgin to my podcast, no, but
Speaker 1: Alana is I am.
Speaker 3: Although I have to say I'm a very loyal follower
Speaker 3: and great.
Speaker 1: Thank you so much. I appreciate you, guys. It's a
Speaker 1: joy actually to have you. You are both I can say
Speaker 1: this hopefully both very good personal friends of mine. It's
Speaker 1: been a joy to get to know you guys, and
Speaker 1: I'll get to that at the end. We have been roommates.
Speaker 1: I've done your laundry, Billy and Alana very good for something.
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, thank you.
Speaker 1: And before I get into like sort of some of
Speaker 1: our personal stuff, I want to talk to you guys,
Speaker 1: because Billy, you get interviewed all the time. Alana you
Speaker 1: get interviewed all the time independently and sometimes you got
Speaker 1: I don't get to have you together, so I won't
Speaker 1: know for the people, the listeners, our listeners who love tennis,
Speaker 1: how the hell did you guys.
Speaker 2: Ended up being a couple.
Speaker 1: It's been forever, forty five years this year, forty five years.
Speaker 2: Mozzle tough to that and you said the right word
Speaker 2: because Ilana's Jewish, I know.
Speaker 3: And well, it's an amazing story. Actually, I started as
Speaker 3: a ball girl at the South African Championships and Billy
Speaker 3: in the amateur days. Own Williams, who was the promoter
Speaker 3: of the South African Championships, brought all of the best
Speaker 3: players to South Africa and they were at the time
Speaker 3: getting money under the table, dollars a lot, and I
Speaker 3: just grew up loving tennis, and my mom sold programs
Speaker 3: at the tournament, and I was a ball kid. And
Speaker 3: the very first time I saw Billy Gen I was
Speaker 3: ten years old. Billy, Jean King, Rosie Cassells, Rod Laver,
Speaker 3: Roy Emerson, Tony Roach. I mean, all the best players
Speaker 3: in the world came and I was a ball girl,
Speaker 3: and I just loved the way Billy served and volleyed,
Speaker 3: and you know, always charged the net and had all
Speaker 3: of this and passion in the way she played, and
Speaker 3: you know, destiny really. I was hitting on a side
Speaker 3: court with my dad before the tournament. Billy walked by
Speaker 3: the court and she said to my dad, she's pretty good. Yeah,
Speaker 3: she said, you know, I recognize your daughter. She's been
Speaker 3: picking up balls, and would you mind if I came
Speaker 3: on the court and hit a few balls with her.
Speaker 3: She walked on the court, she hit with me for
Speaker 3: ten minutes. She said to my dad and actually my mom,
Speaker 3: who was there as well, your daughter has a lot
Speaker 3: of talent, and you know, if she wants to continue
Speaker 3: to pursue it, here's my address. Here's the name of
Speaker 3: my coach, Frank Brennan Senior. She introduced me to the
Speaker 3: Wilson Rap and you know, the rest is history. I
Speaker 3: decided that day that I was going to be a
Speaker 3: professional tennis player. Little did I know there wasn't pro
Speaker 3: tennis yet for women. So that was my first time
Speaker 3: I met her. The second time she came back to
Speaker 3: South Africa. But when I went to Wimbledon in nineteen seventy.
Speaker 1: Two, because people don't know, you were a very good
Speaker 1: player in your own right along.
Speaker 3: It wasn't bad, it wasn't bad. But the world went
Speaker 3: to Wimbledon, played in the junior event, bumped into Billy
Speaker 3: Jean again. In those days, as a junior, they wouldn't
Speaker 3: let you practice anywhere near Wimbledon. So I walked past
Speaker 3: the court Billy Jean was warming up for her woman's
Speaker 3: singles final with Kristen Kammer at the time, and Billy
Speaker 3: Jean said to me, why don't you come and warm
Speaker 3: up with us? And so I just unheard of exactly
Speaker 3: can you imagine, I mean one on one would be one.
Speaker 2: Have you practiced for your match? Because I knew she
Speaker 2: was in the finals of the junior So she says, no,
Speaker 2: I can't, I can't play on these I have just
Speaker 2: come with us let's go.
Speaker 1: So you three of the court, three of us practice.
Speaker 3: They worked out great, and you know, Billy Jean won
Speaker 3: the match again. Vonne google are Gong at the time,
Speaker 3: and I won the junior event against Glennis Coles, and
Speaker 3: you know, so our lives have intersected obviously since I
Speaker 3: was ten years old. But it was just because I
Speaker 3: had a passion to play and I wanted to be
Speaker 3: a pro. And that's why we always talk about if
Speaker 3: you can see it, you can be it, and how
Speaker 3: important it is to go to countries like Malaga to
Speaker 3: have one hundred and thirty seven nations in the billigean
Speaker 3: Kin Cup, because every time there's live tennis in a country,
Speaker 3: you are just inspiring the next generation of young kids.
Speaker 3: And so you know, we're very committed. I am personally
Speaker 3: to playing that forward because it changed my life.
Speaker 2: Yeah, there you go, whoa, I'm impressed. Well, I've actually
Speaker 2: a goal. Let's go what do we want? Let's go
Speaker 2: have a goal here.
Speaker 1: You know, I actually never I actually never knew that story.
Speaker 1: I knew part of that story, but I didn't know
Speaker 1: all of the story. So that's really just great to hear,
Speaker 1: and it is so important and it's funny because maybe
Speaker 1: not at the same time, but I was. I wanted
Speaker 1: to be a ball girl at the Sydney tournament at
Speaker 1: White City.
Speaker 2: My mom wouldn't let me ball.
Speaker 1: Why because she said, no, I want you to pay.
Speaker 1: I don't want you to be the ball which is interesting, right.
Speaker 2: Yeah, because you want to be on the court with
Speaker 2: the best player to actually get that.
Speaker 1: I think is that she didn't want me to not
Speaker 1: be at school, Billy, but I skipped school. I don't
Speaker 1: know if you remember that court at White City and
Speaker 1: it had that that had that like a waterway through
Speaker 1: the middle of the back courts, and my brother and
Speaker 1: I used to sneak down there, down into that water area.
Speaker 1: There was no water, it was only a little trickle,
Speaker 1: and we'd get up onto that bridge that breathed from
Speaker 1: the back to the fall and we'd sneak up onto
Speaker 1: that bridge and get into the tennis tournament that way.
Speaker 2: I never paid.
Speaker 3: Now, why am I not surprised?
Speaker 2: Well? Yeah, White City, Oh my gosh, I remember. That's funny.
Speaker 1: I remember seeing you and I've got an autograph book.
Speaker 1: I've told you this with your autograph and.
Speaker 2: It's so cute. But you know what, I remember the
Speaker 2: side win. Yes, it was awful. Oh my goodness. So
Speaker 2: when you're on one side, it's going right to left
Speaker 2: and then when you change its it's left to right.
Speaker 2: And you really got to pay attention when you changed ends,
Speaker 2: because you don't want to wait until the score is
Speaker 2: thirty love or love thirty and go oh yeah, the
Speaker 2: wind's the opposite. You know, you've got to be yeah,
Speaker 2: but it's a certain volier.
Speaker 1: It was not bad having win because you knew that
Speaker 1: they could you on a certain side exactly.
Speaker 2: You knew you had to play the court and the
Speaker 2: wind and the conditions are really important to understand.
Speaker 1: So okay, so we've heard like the story of your
Speaker 1: relationship and going through I essentially through life together.
Speaker 2: Now, so how nice.
Speaker 1: Has it been for you, Billy, for both of you
Speaker 1: to create something like your foundation, this business acumen. This
Speaker 1: it's been you know, going through playing a tennis career,
Speaker 1: but then now doing something even more special, a legacy
Speaker 1: you're going to leave long before we're all gone. What
Speaker 1: does that meant to you, Billy, to sort of not
Speaker 1: only have life with a Lina personally, but also build
Speaker 1: this incredible business foundation vision together.
Speaker 2: Alana is always really good in business. She just didn't know.
Speaker 2: You know, you don't know when you're a young tennis player.
Speaker 2: But she's really good at sales and concepts and her
Speaker 2: dad was a salesperson. I always tell her, and I
Speaker 2: teaser you know, it was in your dad's blood. It's
Speaker 2: in your blood. Because she loves it, she thrives on it.
Speaker 2: She gets a lot of yeses, she doesn't get as
Speaker 2: many no's as most people trying to sell because she
Speaker 2: understands the other person. I'm so aware of that by
Speaker 2: the way relationship, we try to understand the other person
Speaker 2: and what they need, not what we want, and then
Speaker 2: you match it up. So Elana is really really exceptional
Speaker 2: at that, and also very good at taking care of
Speaker 2: a client once we have one, because that's just as important,
Speaker 2: if not more important, as well. A lot of people
Speaker 2: get a yes and then that's it. They don't see
Speaker 2: them again. No, you do, just see opposite. You must
Speaker 2: take care of your clients and the people in it
Speaker 2: with you, and relationships are everything. With us, we talk
Speaker 2: about that all the time and we all so I
Speaker 2: want to create that with the people that work with
Speaker 2: us that they feel that it's like family, almost that
Speaker 2: we really care about them beyond just the work they
Speaker 2: do for us. I think that's important, but we just
Speaker 2: we just realized that how much women's sports needs help
Speaker 2: and to progress. We're so young still. I was always
Speaker 2: very frustrated in the sixties and seventies. We you know,
Speaker 2: our generation took tennis from amateurism to professionalism. I love
Speaker 2: the fact that I was a part of that. I
Speaker 2: also what people don't realize, I've been in the business
Speaker 2: since nineteen sixty eight. My former husband and I own
Speaker 2: tournaments part owners. Obviously because we didn't have any money,
Speaker 2: we had good ideas, and I think being on the
Speaker 2: business side, because the players will ask me what should
Speaker 2: I do, Billy, I go learn the business. It's such
Speaker 2: true because I say, do you when you go to
Speaker 2: a let's say, a five hundred tournament or two fifty
Speaker 2: or whatever. I go, do you ever did you get paid?
Speaker 2: And they go, oh, oh, yeah, of course they're have paid.
Speaker 2: And I go, did you ever ask the owner promoter
Speaker 2: of the event? Because they work all year for this
Speaker 2: one week? This is not like, oh, we just put
Speaker 2: it on for a week. They kill themselves through. That's
Speaker 2: what we used to do. We'd just kill ourselves for
Speaker 2: that one week of a tournament. I said, have you
Speaker 2: ever asked them how they have done? Did they have
Speaker 2: a good week? And not one player has said to me.
Speaker 2: They look at me and they get this blank stare
Speaker 2: and they go, I never thought about it. And I said, well,
Speaker 2: it might be good. And then why don't you work
Speaker 2: on a tournament for a week. Just work just like
Speaker 2: staff person. Just work. I don't like that word staff associate,
Speaker 2: and so I you know, I just said, go ahead
Speaker 2: and work for a tournament just to answer the phone.
Speaker 2: Even of course you don't do it like we used
Speaker 2: to in the old days. I mean I used to
Speaker 2: get calls. I would sit and take calls from people
Speaker 2: buying tickets, and you learn so much from them to go, well,
Speaker 2: I want a ticket. When Chris, Evan and Martine are
Speaker 2: playing in the finals, well they might not be in
Speaker 2: the finals because they have you explain the format of
Speaker 2: a tournament, which they didn't really understand, and then they
Speaker 2: make decisions. That way, we try to get them to
Speaker 2: come early. And because there's so many great players, people
Speaker 2: don't realize. I mean, if you look at different sports,
Speaker 2: they have thousands of people who play that sport like
Speaker 2: in the league, like baseball's got nine hundred guys and
Speaker 2: and football's got about nine hundred. You know, nflis that's
Speaker 2: all I say. And we have we have thousands playing
Speaker 2: and no one appreciates them. No, But if I see it,
Speaker 2: I'm bringing a pro player and they go, well, what's
Speaker 2: her ranking? If I said five hundred, they said, oh,
Speaker 2: they're no good. But if I bring a Major League
Speaker 2: Baseball player or an NFL professional player, or or a
Speaker 2: soccer football person from NWS, at least they go oh wow.
Speaker 2: And I'm like, so they need to understand that tennis
Speaker 2: players will go very deep on our rankings. And it's
Speaker 2: a global sport, which I think is absolutely huge. As
Speaker 2: a child, I knew it was important because I love history.
Speaker 2: I read all the history books, and I knew then
Speaker 2: that I was going to be a part of a
Speaker 2: global sport because I didn't grow up with tennis. I
Speaker 2: never heard of tennis, you know, into mind. Susan Williams
Speaker 2: said you want to play tennis, and you said, what's that?
Speaker 2: I go, what's tennis? And she says seriously, I said no, seriously,
Speaker 2: I don't know. It's going to be the rest of
Speaker 2: your life, Billy, that's what she should have said. Well,
Speaker 2: you know what, they're still in touch with. I just
Speaker 2: saw Susan the other day and I said, every time
Speaker 2: I stear it go, it's all thank your fault. I
Speaker 2: always say it's all your fine. You say it's all
Speaker 2: your fault and thank you so much, and I do
Speaker 2: say things, are you kidding? Every day She's on my
Speaker 2: blessing list every single day of my life. Without Susan,
Speaker 2: I wouldn't be here. So I'm really thrilled.
Speaker 3: Well, you know, I think just back to your question
Speaker 3: on the business.
Speaker 1: You always know how to bring it back along. Yeah,
Speaker 1: you know, Billy Weed, she's a weaver.
Speaker 2: She's our business person. Yeah, you're a weaver.
Speaker 3: I mean I was fortunate enough, at seventeen years old
Speaker 3: to be around when the WTA was started. I was
Speaker 3: in the room when we formed our first player Association,
Speaker 3: which is kind of our player union, although we were
Speaker 3: independent contractors.
Speaker 1: But he's over locked the doors and said, you're not.
Speaker 3: What was amazing was that even Billy at the time
Speaker 3: was thinking that it was very important that the tour
Speaker 3: was perceived as global and not just have Americans on
Speaker 3: the board. So as a South African, I got to
Speaker 3: be on the second board, and I just got to
Speaker 3: learn the business. I mean, the players actually ran the
Speaker 3: WTA and it was just an amazing education to actually
Speaker 3: learn the business. So I feel I was very lucky
Speaker 3: to be mentored by Billy jen and at the time
Speaker 3: of former husband Larry King, because they were in business.
Speaker 3: And what I learned was that the relationships that I
Speaker 3: could make by going to a sponsor party, by playing
Speaker 3: in a pro am, I mean we were had the
Speaker 3: opportunity to meet the very best of the best. The
Speaker 3: best CEO is the smartest people, and so I learned
Speaker 3: at a very young age you know what was important
Speaker 3: of the court as well as on the court. So
Speaker 3: that was a big part of it. And then to
Speaker 3: be honest, I did not love competing in tennis. I
Speaker 3: hated being out there alone. I like being part of
Speaker 3: a team. That's why I loved playing in the Billy
Speaker 3: jean Kin Cup, which actually was the Federation Cup when
Speaker 3: I was growing up. And just that being selected to
Speaker 3: play for your country. I think U SWZ know what
Speaker 3: that means.
Speaker 2: I mean, when you got the.
Speaker 3: Call to play for your country, that was it. It
Speaker 3: wasn't how much prize money or their points are there
Speaker 3: are no points.
Speaker 2: I didn't even know.
Speaker 3: We got paid exactly sign It was a great honor,
Speaker 3: and I think as a young player, you know, you
Speaker 3: aspire to represent your country, and that's the great thing
Speaker 3: about tennis. You can have individual and you can have team.
Speaker 3: And so very quickly I learned that I loved the
Speaker 3: sport of tennis. I loved the business of tennis, but
Speaker 3: I didn't actually love competing. So it was very fortunate that,
Speaker 3: you know, when I came to the end of my career,
Speaker 3: I played about eleven years on the tour. Billy Jean
Speaker 3: was doing World Team Tennis. They needed somebody to help
Speaker 3: with players. I got in at that level. Then I
Speaker 3: got in with our partners and sponsors, and then I
Speaker 3: ran the league for about almost twenty years. And when
Speaker 3: we sold World Team Tennis about eight nine years ago,
Speaker 3: we decided that we really wanted to continue in the business.
Speaker 3: And there was just so much opportunity and so much
Speaker 3: need in women's sports, and people just kept coming to
Speaker 3: us and asking for information, and so just all that
Speaker 3: history of learning and understanding the business and having to
Speaker 3: operate a league on a small budget and always struggling,
Speaker 3: and then our life changed when we met Kimber and
Speaker 3: Mark Walter. And actually you're a little bit of it
Speaker 3: as your fault because you introduced us to Commal Murray
Speaker 3: and access tennis, and Billy went and helped him raise
Speaker 3: some money. And then you know, we met the Walter family,
Speaker 3: who obviously you know, owned the Dodgers, asked us did
Speaker 3: we want to be involved with the La Sparks? And
Speaker 3: I'll never forget.
Speaker 1: Hey, you guys might Oh no, you missed out on
Speaker 1: page Brokers yesterday number two. Sorry, guys, Billy's not looking
Speaker 1: at me very happy right now. Now she might be
Speaker 1: gone to the wings. But anyway, carry on, carry on.
Speaker 1: How I follow all these things?
Speaker 3: Yeah? No, so but you know, the interesting thing was
Speaker 3: that Billy Jean said to Mark Walter, will whine up
Speaker 3: the Dodgers. And he looked at her and he said,
Speaker 3: you know what, Billy Jean, why not the Dodgers? And
Speaker 3: I think that really propelled us to kind of be
Speaker 3: at the big boy table. And I think what that's
Speaker 3: in abled us to do is have capital. You have
Speaker 3: to follow the money. And it's not just because you
Speaker 3: want more and more money, but money allows you to
Speaker 3: have choices. And that's why Billy always tells women and
Speaker 3: young girls and everybody follow the money because that's going
Speaker 3: to give you options in.
Speaker 2: Your life, and then you can give it away.
Speaker 3: But make it before you know, you don't always default
Speaker 3: into nonprofit work. You know, look at you know, a
Speaker 3: much brighter, a much broader lens.
Speaker 1: It's funny that you say that, Like, you guys know
Speaker 1: me very well. I have never had an agent, and
Speaker 1: I have established relationships with people and then they get
Speaker 1: to know me, and then they get to know my
Speaker 1: work or know.
Speaker 2: Me as a person.
Speaker 1: And a lot of people insinuate they think they know me,
Speaker 1: but then they don't realize. You know, these relationships are
Speaker 1: formed by talking to people. It's getting to know people,
Speaker 1: it's getting into the rooms, it's getting to know Kim
Speaker 1: and Mark and Kimber has been those guys have been
Speaker 1: incredible for tennis, for women's sports. They're the major sponsor
Speaker 1: now of the PWHL, which you.
Speaker 2: Guys, they're the owner. They are the only investor in
Speaker 2: millions and millions, and that's why I try to understand
Speaker 2: make the players and others. It takes millions and millions
Speaker 2: and billions of dollars to make these. That's the way
Speaker 2: men's sports work, if you do, if you look at
Speaker 2: their history, which I try to learn all the time.
Speaker 2: But for me to ask for what I wanted and needed,
Speaker 2: that was unusual because girls are taught not to ask
Speaker 2: what we want to need. So that was the first
Speaker 2: time just for us. I can ask for a group,
Speaker 2: huge group and all that. I'm great at that. But
Speaker 2: when Mark asked us about the Sparks, and I love
Speaker 2: basketball was my first sport, that's really good. But my
Speaker 2: brother was a Major League baseball player for twelve years.
Speaker 2: I grew up in professional baseball, professional football, all these things.
Speaker 2: And of course I grew up with the Dodgers because
Speaker 2: I was a teenager when the Dodgers moved to in California.
Speaker 2: So here I'm a kid. We didn't have one major
Speaker 2: league team in California, and now there was five, and
Speaker 2: now that we're down to four. Maybe, But the point
Speaker 2: is I my allegiance was with the Dodgers, and so
Speaker 2: I had history with the Dodgers. The reason I wanted
Speaker 2: to be with the Dodgers. And then of course secondarily,
Speaker 2: which I didn't think about right away, was there. It's
Speaker 2: worth a lot more money, and so you know, we
Speaker 2: want we want the Sparks to start doing better too.
Speaker 2: But you know, and people come to us constantly asking
Speaker 2: for help. I mean, Kendall Coin called the Lana. I
Speaker 2: think Kendall Coin ice hockey, ice hockey. She's the captain
Speaker 2: of the American team. Unbelievable, the fastest, fastest skater. She's
Speaker 2: five too, it's hilarious. Her husband's six seven, Michael. He's
Speaker 2: adorable anyway, and she has a new baby, Drew and
Speaker 2: all that, so it's so cute. But I remember her call,
Speaker 2: and we were a Lakers game because Mark's involved the
Speaker 2: Lakers as well, and I grew up with the Lakers.
Speaker 2: I'm a Laker kid. And she calls us, we're the
Speaker 2: Laker game, and Kendall cold, Kendall does yep, and Kendle
Speaker 2: Coin calls us, and Lawn took the call and walked
Speaker 2: down in the hall and she says, I need your help.
Speaker 2: I think I think Angela Rocheiro gave her the information,
Speaker 2: which was important. And Margiro angel Rorizeiro was just a
Speaker 2: rock star and a superstar in ninety eight Olympics. Okay,
Speaker 2: so I knew all about her and she was a friend.
Speaker 2: I ad met her at the Women's Sports Foundation. So
Speaker 2: Kendle calls, so we set up a meeting in New York.
Speaker 2: I'll never forget. I can know exactly where we were standing.
Speaker 2: Where Kendall was standing was right before you go into
Speaker 2: the kitchen. And she looked up at us and said, help,
Speaker 2: we have to have a pro hockey league, the proper one,
Speaker 2: not the ones we've.
Speaker 1: Had, because there was skept they were splintered splinters.
Speaker 2: Not only that, but when you did play a lot
Speaker 2: of times, you didn't get paid. A lot of times
Speaker 2: you slept on a sofa. You can't get a shower.
Speaker 2: I mean, we're talking about basic, basic stuff. So we
Speaker 2: went to Mark. But it took seven years and we
Speaker 2: had our first season January first this year. It was
Speaker 2: highly successful. It was really on the game plan or
Speaker 2: in our fourth year actually, with the second starting I
Speaker 2: think November thirtieth this year. But the Professional Women's Hockey
Speaker 2: League has got only six teams right now, Mark on
Speaker 2: every single one of them. So every team everybody's taking
Speaker 2: care of equally because of that, because you have great owners,
Speaker 2: you know sometimes and bad owners and all that. With
Speaker 2: the way it works now.
Speaker 1: I see it in the w n B A too,
Speaker 1: great owners in the w NBA investing and they're getting
Speaker 1: a lot out of it because of that.
Speaker 3: I think these single single entity ownership model for new leagues.
Speaker 3: I think it's the way to go because you can
Speaker 3: really build that infrastructure from consistency across all of all
Speaker 3: of the markets, and you know, and then then you
Speaker 3: can maybe bring in investors to buy some of the footanchists.
Speaker 2: But if you just realize how much money this takes
Speaker 2: to get started, and I try to explain to the
Speaker 2: players things, so just happen it takes millions. They look
Speaker 2: at me, like millions and million. I go, yes, millions
Speaker 2: and millions, billions sometimes and they go huh, and like
Speaker 2: that's why I want them to understand the business. I
Speaker 2: mean when you go to wimblan even understand that, or
Speaker 2: if you go to a small tournament, understand it what
Speaker 2: people go through to put design for us.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think it's important for players to understand just
Speaker 1: the business side of it.
Speaker 2: I think it's such a.
Speaker 1: Great basics, it's a great I think it's something that
Speaker 1: we should be teaching at school actually also as financial
Speaker 1: literacy and things like that. We are here in Malaga
Speaker 1: for the Billy Jing King Cup. So I want to
Speaker 1: talk to you a little bit about the relationship with
Speaker 1: particularly with ELF Cosmetics, who's now you know, ELF has
Speaker 1: really supported iHeartRadio, the women's there's great networks. They've really
Speaker 1: put their money where their mouth is. If you don't
Speaker 1: hear it, you don't know it, you don't it, if
Speaker 1: you don't see it, all the things, So that that's
Speaker 1: a start. Also, of course they're now a sponsor of
Speaker 1: the Billaging King Cup. I know how important it is.
Speaker 1: I talked about this, you know, with Corey from from
Speaker 1: ELF the.
Speaker 2: She's market chief marketing off. She's she's a pistol.
Speaker 1: I love her amazing but we but Billy, I said
Speaker 1: to her, you know, one of the things about women's tennis,
Speaker 1: for example, is we've had great sponsors through the years.
Speaker 1: And obviously you know that both of you know so well.
Speaker 1: The Virginia Slims was like such a catalyst, you know,
Speaker 1: clearly not the greatest sponsor, considering it was smoking.
Speaker 2: That's a whole other story.
Speaker 1: They yeah, but they but they are marketed, but they
Speaker 1: were incredible partners. So how important is it for the
Speaker 1: both of you to work with a company like ELF
Speaker 1: and so many other companies that.
Speaker 2: You work with here at the Billy Jean King Cup.
Speaker 1: But how important is it to have a company like them,
Speaker 1: for example, who really the demographic, the diversity, the equality.
Speaker 2: The board philosophically perfectly.
Speaker 1: Yeah, So tell me about that, Tell me about the meeting.
Speaker 2: How important it was for both of you disruptors with
Speaker 2: a kind heart.
Speaker 3: I think there's not that often, right when you have
Speaker 3: a partner who has the same values and is trying
Speaker 3: to help you use that platform right to inspire others.
Speaker 3: And I think you know, just the way that they activate,
Speaker 3: like everything they do, they don't just slap a logo
Speaker 3: on anything. They really build the fact that they have
Speaker 3: you here the Tennis podcast. Yeah, they have Sarah Spain
Speaker 3: from iHeart, They have a bunch of editors and influencers.
Speaker 3: They are all in and that those partners are very
Speaker 3: very hard to come by, and the product is amazing
Speaker 3: and I think because of them. You know, we've added
Speaker 3: this Power of Women's Sports Summit to the Billy Jenkin
Speaker 3: Cup because we believe that tennis has been amazing in
Speaker 3: paying equally exposure.
Speaker 2: Although we can.
Speaker 3: Talk about three sets for the woman and five for
Speaker 3: the men, which we think the two is terrible exactly,
Speaker 3: So the big events and in the Billy Jenkin Cup,
Speaker 3: obviously because of Gamebridge, we're able to give equivalent price
Speaker 3: money to the Davis Cup, So that is an important philosophy.
Speaker 3: But the thing that we love about ALF is that
Speaker 3: we have been able to launch this Power of Women's
Speaker 3: Sports Summit alongside the Billie Jean King Cup, and to
Speaker 3: have dialogue and to bring leaders together from all types
Speaker 3: of businesses who care about women's sports. There is a
Speaker 3: huge opportunity and I love that they are bold disruptors
Speaker 3: and if you ever you know, if you looked in
Speaker 3: the dictionary and you had Billy Jean King, you would
Speaker 3: have a bold disruptor right next door. And so I
Speaker 3: think that collaboration is perfect, and I think what they're
Speaker 3: trying to do in bringing data and facts to this
Speaker 3: change the Board campaign that's incredible. You can't just have
Speaker 3: one woman, you have to have three or more to
Speaker 3: have things shift. And so it's amazing to have a
Speaker 3: partner who really activates and wants to tell your story.
Speaker 3: And I mean, I don't think we've had one since
Speaker 3: way back in Philip Morris Days, and like you said,
Speaker 3: this is a product that young girls and women can
Speaker 3: really they use so it's a perfect fit.
Speaker 2: And they're really inclusive. They just love it. But they
Speaker 2: don't care what your background is. They don't care about anything,
Speaker 2: just people and they love It's just very big on inclusion,
Speaker 2: which I love. And anybody wants to wear this makeup
Speaker 2: doesn't have to just be a girl Ei. There could
Speaker 2: be anybody else. It's fun. But I just love Elf.
Speaker 2: When I said Elf, what's that? And then with the eyes,
Speaker 2: you know, the lips in the the face, I was like, God,
Speaker 2: what a great name. And I know other thing.
Speaker 3: Too is they really are big on helping underserved community.
Speaker 3: Their products are affordable. That is huge, and it's you know,
Speaker 3: it's a bad excess. I mean our our brands and
Speaker 3: values aligned.
Speaker 1: Yes, so well, and that's really the I mean the
Speaker 1: real I mean, you already talked about a line at
Speaker 1: the start, how you know, having back in the day
Speaker 1: it was fed Cup, Federation Cup, now the Billie Jean
Speaker 1: King Cup. It is where you start kids at the
Speaker 1: grassroots of tennis. You know, the if is so important
Speaker 1: for the grassroots of tennis.
Speaker 2: And you guys just did the junior David Cup and
Speaker 2: Junior Billy Jean King Cup. I mean, that's what we want.
Speaker 2: Those are the kids that are going to grow up
Speaker 2: and be our future leaders. They're going to be great players,
Speaker 2: some of them. You know, only one percent really make
Speaker 2: it in a sport at the pro level, at the
Speaker 2: real elite level. But you can stay in your sport.
Speaker 2: That's what's important. Look at what you're doing now. I
Speaker 2: mean you used to play, but now you're doing your
Speaker 2: show and you're still in the sport plus other things.
Speaker 2: But the point is that you have a long life's
Speaker 2: conduit tennis. I think kids should understand that if you
Speaker 2: love tennis and you don't think you're going to be
Speaker 2: the best, don't worry. There'll be something that you're good
Speaker 2: at and you can stay in the sport because we
Speaker 2: need them. We need them to stay in tennis. And
Speaker 2: tennis with all the research, especially in the States with
Speaker 2: the Mayo Clinic, it is the healthiest sport in the world.
Speaker 2: So I love giving the gift of tennis anybody because oh,
Speaker 2: that's all the discussion, but right now, but tennis is
Speaker 2: the healthiest sport. I don't you guys listen to my
Speaker 2: podcast pickleball. Actually they actually orthopedics. I'm not gonna have
Speaker 2: to No, you will not. Orthopedic surgions come to us
Speaker 2: all the times that you cannot believe how many more
Speaker 2: injuries are in pickleball. Yes, it's unbelievable.
Speaker 1: I guess they can't cite it for the people in
Speaker 1: the back, Billy.
Speaker 2: So anyway, people that love your pickleball, just make sure
Speaker 2: your train enough. But why don't you just play tennis
Speaker 2: as well? Because just hit in the little service box.
Speaker 2: That's what Lana and I do now, just hit we
Speaker 2: warm up in the little She could kill me just
Speaker 2: playing the service box. And I don't understand why people
Speaker 2: don't do that. They we should break it up. Even
Speaker 2: the pros practice half court.
Speaker 1: We don't even practice all agree, Oh, Billy, we could
Speaker 1: gone for it. We don't have enough time, I know.
Speaker 2: I want to give people ideas who played to this
Speaker 2: that you don't have to play points. Just drill and
Speaker 2: hit the ball. It's so much fun to feel the
Speaker 2: ball against the streets.
Speaker 1: Okay, So, but don't worry, Billy, because everyone who listens
Speaker 1: to this podcast also feels the.
Speaker 2: Same thing about it. I hope, and if they don't
Speaker 2: why you're listening to get the kids, but get the
Speaker 2: other people to pick it up, and they don't have
Speaker 2: to be children. Get older people, get it, whatever age group,
Speaker 2: especially the children, because it becomes a habit. They'll have
Speaker 2: it the rest.
Speaker 1: I know when parents get their kids in pickleball, I'm like,
Speaker 1: what are you doing? But listen, let's get onto the rant.
Speaker 2: Listen. But I want to know, Billy. I don't the
Speaker 2: sound kills me.
Speaker 1: I want to know because we are here for Billy
Speaker 1: Jean king Cup. I want to know your favorite story
Speaker 1: from Billy Jean king Cup back in the day playing
Speaker 1: and as a coach, and same for you Alana as
Speaker 1: a player, as.
Speaker 2: A point I love concepts right and to create opportunities.
Speaker 2: So the first year was nineteen sixty three at Queen's Club.
Speaker 2: I was on the US team. They invited sixteen countries
Speaker 2: to get it started to see if they thought it
Speaker 2: might work or might not work. And I was nineteen
Speaker 2: and Darlene Hard was our best player in the US
Speaker 2: and I was number two in Carol Caldowell, who is
Speaker 2: my friend in my roommate a lot of times from
Speaker 2: Santa Monica. She was the third player. But I remember
Speaker 2: standing for photos and saying how excited I was this
Speaker 2: and I poor things. I kept yelling at them all week.
Speaker 2: We have to win the first one. So when we
Speaker 2: look at the Cup thirty forty years from now, we'll
Speaker 2: see the USA was the first one to ever win it.
Speaker 2: We're going to make history, because you know how much
Speaker 2: I love history anyway, and they're looking at me like,
Speaker 2: what what do you care about? I go, no, you
Speaker 2: don't understand. This is so important because this is going
Speaker 2: to get bigger and better, and we have to be
Speaker 2: the first.
Speaker 1: So when I go to my name is going to
Speaker 1: be on this trophy one day, and I want to
Speaker 1: be the first. No, the USA was going to be
Speaker 1: end No, but you know what I mean, it is
Speaker 1: now the Billy J.
Speaker 2: King part. I did not know that. I'm so excited.
Speaker 2: But they started Federation Cup because it was the fiftieth
Speaker 2: birthday of the IF and I don't think a lot
Speaker 2: of people know that the Davis Cup started in nineteen
Speaker 2: hundred with Dwight Davis, who was the captain of the
Speaker 2: Harvard team started it. So they had a huge jump
Speaker 2: on US sixty three years. Yeah, sixty three years ahead
Speaker 2: of US, so we're always starting a little late, but
Speaker 2: we're getting there. And we had our one hundred and
Speaker 2: thirty seven Nations, as Elana said, and you wa this year?
Speaker 2: Did you win it?
Speaker 4: We did?
Speaker 2: When it we were down match points to Australia, which
Speaker 2: is Margaret Smith. I didn't know that and Leslie turn
Speaker 2: I was saving that for the you know, the go
Speaker 2: in there and I yelled at Darlene, I'll never forget.
Speaker 2: She's playing the left court and I was playing the
Speaker 2: right court because I always played whatever they didn't want.
Speaker 2: I'm one of those, yeah you my dream potd I go,
Speaker 2: what would you like to play the right or the left?
Speaker 2: And they go, I want this? I go, okay, I
Speaker 2: played the other side whatever. And so I played the
Speaker 2: right court with Darling because she won the left court
Speaker 2: and she was a better player than I was. She
Speaker 2: should be there and the way her game was. But
Speaker 2: I could see her, I could feel her like her
Speaker 2: was waiting and that she we're gonna got to be
Speaker 2: the first we're on the court. We're on the court
Speaker 2: now it rains, so but that's what she's thinking. I
Speaker 2: could feel her saying, well, we might lose this. We're
Speaker 2: right now close to a match point, I said, Darlene,
Speaker 2: you know I wandered, I go I looked at and
Speaker 2: we're gonna win this, come on, and I saw her
Speaker 2: just go okay, and all of a sudden intensity came back.
Speaker 2: Everything we got so lucky. I don't know how we want.
Speaker 2: I don't remember what happened or anything, but we want
Speaker 2: such thing as luck. We probably were very lucky. But
Speaker 2: I'm so happy because we are the first name on
Speaker 2: the Cup no matter what. And I every time I
Speaker 2: look at it, I remember those matches and what happened
Speaker 2: the very first one. So I've been a part of
Speaker 2: this from day one to now and it has just
Speaker 2: been amazing to see the growth. And I Australia and
Speaker 2: suck it. Is that what you're saying, No, Ozzie, I
Speaker 2: think you want the second one, but it's not the first.
Speaker 2: Ozzie's are probably as good a country as any. And
Speaker 2: how the kids, the players play for the country and
Speaker 2: they know it's a privilege. They love it. They have
Speaker 2: numbers on whatever were you. I was number twenty five,
Speaker 2: so you were the twenty fifth player to play. And
Speaker 2: I think what the Australians have done great. I want
Speaker 2: names and numbers on the back. So I'm everyone thinks
Speaker 2: I'm totally out to lunch. But the point is I
Speaker 2: do want that and I love it. When I saw
Speaker 2: the Australians, you've never seen you. It's a lunch in
Speaker 2: my life. So Alicia moultenmull I heard you. Alisia Mulloch. Sorry, god,
Speaker 2: it's small Mulleck. She's such a she was so great
Speaker 2: and she was showing me the numbers and explaining it
Speaker 2: to me, because what are those numbers?
Speaker 1: Yeah, Derry Gavlova's fifty, So I said, real the hell,
Speaker 1: I'm half a year sore?
Speaker 4: Are they?
Speaker 2: There are one hundred and something? No, fifty seven? Fifty eight?
Speaker 2: Now I think, yeah, yeah, I was.
Speaker 1: I'm actually the longest tenured Australian come Billy Jean King
Speaker 1: Cup player. Well, I think it was eighteen, but it
Speaker 1: really should have been more than that because there was
Speaker 1: a couple of times where I got left off the
Speaker 1: team because I was insubordinate apparently, so they left them.
Speaker 1: It's Billy because the two times they left me off
Speaker 1: the team, I won Wimbledon double.
Speaker 2: So that wasn't too smart.
Speaker 1: It was not very smart with the player that you
Speaker 1: know why they kicked me off because I spoke up
Speaker 1: for the players, Billy. They didn't like it, you know
Speaker 1: how that feels. I do know, Yeah, so wonder they
Speaker 1: didn't kick you off a couple of times. The last
Speaker 1: was their last, and I think they both tournament and
Speaker 1: it's right, all right, Alana for you first and most
Speaker 1: like just great story that you can Yeah, I have
Speaker 1: so many, but.
Speaker 3: I mean a great one and then not so great one.
Speaker 3: So in nineteen seventy three, the fed Cup was actually
Speaker 3: in South Africa and I was the reserve on the
Speaker 3: team because I was a young little snapper, a snapper
Speaker 3: and it's always politics, right, I think, hello wine, and
Speaker 3: but I did get to practice and be with the
Speaker 3: team and we actually won the competition in South Africa
Speaker 3: with beat Great Britain in the finals. And it's actually
Speaker 3: funny because I know Great Britain are in the semi finals, yere,
Speaker 3: and I don't think they've ever won it before.
Speaker 2: Have they ever won it?
Speaker 3: I don't think social but you can fact check that.
Speaker 3: But I do know that they were in the finals
Speaker 3: against South Africa and we brought them over. Joe Wade
Speaker 3: and Whinnie Wooldridge when he shore at the time, and
Speaker 3: I mean the whole country stopped. You know, it was
Speaker 3: a huge deal. So I think again that representing your country,
Speaker 3: there's nothing like it. And then you know, obviously because
Speaker 3: of a part eight, South Africa actually was kicked out
Speaker 3: of the Federation Cup at the time in nineteen seventy eight.
Speaker 2: So that was a little bit bigger than.
Speaker 3: Yeah, right exactly. In seventy seven, it was kind of scary.
Speaker 3: We were playing in Eastbourne, yeah, and they threw flour
Speaker 3: on the court, they threw oil on the court. We
Speaker 3: actually ended up having like twenty four to seven security
Speaker 3: and so we were then kicked out. So but you know,
Speaker 3: I think even now South Africa is back in the competition,
Speaker 3: they're playing in some of the smaller regional groups. And
Speaker 3: again I think that first feeling of being chosen to
Speaker 3: represent your country and wearing that laser. I've still got
Speaker 3: all of mine somewhere. There's nothing I keep everything. There's
Speaker 3: nothing like that.
Speaker 2: I'm a holder. I I'm a holder. I love being
Speaker 2: captain too, or coach captain, and that's a full time job.
Speaker 2: Because I went to tournaments, I built relationships with the players.
Speaker 2: I'm probably luck his captain in the world though, because
Speaker 2: one players number one or former number one on the
Speaker 2: team together unbelievable. I think I had Lindsay Davenport, Monica Sellis,
Speaker 2: Jennifer Capriotti, we had Venus, and Venus and Serena came along.
Speaker 2: I mean we married. Joe Fernandez was amazing. She helped
Speaker 2: me when I had to speak Spanish in Spain in
Speaker 2: those days. She helped me get my speech because I
Speaker 2: can fanatically do it, but I don't really know it.
Speaker 2: But I told her what I want to say and
Speaker 2: she helped and her mother helped me. It's so Sylvia,
Speaker 2: I'll never it's so cute. And I told the audience
Speaker 2: and they all stood up and they you know, the
Speaker 2: mom and Mary Joe helped with this speech and it
Speaker 2: was so great. So no, but as a captain, I'm
Speaker 2: one of the I just know, I'm the luckiest probably
Speaker 2: captain never to live because of having those good players.
Speaker 2: And you have to treat the A players I call
Speaker 2: them in the B or B plus or A minus.
Speaker 2: Everyone's different, and you really have to be a psychologist.
Speaker 2: I think if you want to be a great captain
Speaker 2: and coach, you've got to be a great psychologist and
Speaker 2: I've had years and years of therapy and that really
Speaker 2: helped me. Yeah, I agreed.
Speaker 1: Listen, you know, guys, I know I've done a little
Speaker 1: bit of coaching in my time as well. And people say,
Speaker 1: and I said, yeah, the excess and o's a one thing,
Speaker 1: and giving someone a game plan is another. But all
Speaker 1: you do the whole time is basically become a sports
Speaker 1: psychologist or a psychologist in general.
Speaker 2: Well you can just wait.
Speaker 1: Yeah, okay, you can wait, just serving here, Okay.
Speaker 3: Well, I think Billy has this ability to see the
Speaker 3: world from sixty thousand feet and you know, be able
Speaker 3: to have a vision right for the end result. And
Speaker 3: I think that's an amazing quality. And also she's the
Speaker 3: most persistent person that I've ever met in my life.
Speaker 3: Like she never gives up and she always starts over.
Speaker 3: She doesn't take anything personally, and that's huge because if
Speaker 3: you don't take things personally, you can always be in
Speaker 3: the solution and been looking to move forward. And the
Speaker 3: other thing that I'll say about Billy Jean, she is
Speaker 3: a great united People think of Billy as being a fighter,
Speaker 3: but that is really not her style. Her style is
Speaker 3: to bring people together and to find the commonality in
Speaker 3: reaching a goal together and she'll only fight if she
Speaker 3: has to, but that is not her inclination. It's always
Speaker 3: I think she's the people's champion and she's an incredible united.
Speaker 1: It's before you say anything, Before you say anything, pressure
Speaker 1: is a privilege.
Speaker 2: I can tell you that that's a fair story.
Speaker 1: Actually, yeah, I can tell you when I've had situations happen.
Speaker 1: One in particular was the Margaret Court situation in Australia
Speaker 1: with the naming of the Cord and you know, it
Speaker 1: was the time that she came out and said some
Speaker 1: pretty derogatory, terrible things about the about our community and
Speaker 1: it's just the lgbt Q plus community in total.
Speaker 2: And I was getting a lot.
Speaker 1: Of calls from orders and TV people in Australia, and
Speaker 1: you know, because there was a big story there. And
Speaker 1: I remember texting or calling you and I said, Billy,
Speaker 1: help me, help me word what I need to word
Speaker 1: in this situation. And I've never forgotten the story you
Speaker 1: told me was Renee, there are people when you have
Speaker 1: your name on a building, and when you have your
Speaker 1: name on a court, and you of course have the
Speaker 1: you know, National tennis and in Queen's name after you,
Speaker 1: and then there's Arthur Ash Stadium, and then there's the
Speaker 1: Rod Labor Court Arena in Australia, and then of course there's.
Speaker 2: The Margaret Court Arena.
Speaker 1: And you said, everyone that walks through those gates or
Speaker 1: those doors might be straight, might be gay, might be
Speaker 1: all of the things, might be trans, might be anybody,
Speaker 1: and you should be inviting to all of those people
Speaker 1: no matter what. If you want to have your name
Speaker 1: on an establishment, you have to understand people walking through
Speaker 1: those date gates and doors are everybody. So you have
Speaker 1: to be inclusive of everybody. And I thought, oh my god,
Speaker 1: what a brilliant way to put it. Rather than slandering
Speaker 1: someone like Margaret, you just say, if you're going to
Speaker 1: have your name on something, that's what you need to
Speaker 1: understand about how important it is to accept everybody because
Speaker 1: they're paying money to come into your doors, into your game.
Speaker 2: Yes, and so I'll never forget that. And so the
Speaker 2: reason I tell that.
Speaker 1: Story is I want people to understand that you're like
Speaker 1: my north star when it comes to because everyone knows
Speaker 1: I'm I can be a little brash in my comments, really, yes,
Speaker 1: but I have learned Billy Caitlin's very proud of me.
Speaker 1: I don't tweet as much anymore. Actually, I've gone off
Speaker 1: of Twitter. I'm onto Blue Sky now for those of
Speaker 1: you are, they're Blue Sky, get on it.
Speaker 2: It's much happier place. But a million new people every day,
Speaker 2: oh lots lots.
Speaker 1: And now that I've got you, Billy, you know you, Alana,
Speaker 1: hopefully you know more and more people.
Speaker 2: But but I it's so.
Speaker 1: Important and you are so important because you're people think
Speaker 1: that you're a fighter, Like Alana said, so when you
Speaker 1: were telling me that story is it's so true. Billy
Speaker 1: doesn't kiss people off. She unites behind a common cause
Speaker 1: of a conversation as opposed to, you know, even a
Speaker 1: thing with the Saudi. You're like, if we're not there,
Speaker 1: we can't change minds.
Speaker 2: And I'm not sure what to do that. This is
Speaker 2: a really tough one. Yeah, although I do know that
Speaker 2: unless you have engagement, yep, you can't change. So that's
Speaker 2: the difficult there, difficulty. But I also don't like what's
Speaker 2: going on there. But how do we break down doors?
Speaker 2: How do you know? When the WTA went there, they
Speaker 2: actually did all these programs that are going to continue
Speaker 2: every day of the year. They're not going to just
Speaker 2: be there when the players are at the tournament. Is
Speaker 2: this going to make a difference or not? I don't know.
Speaker 2: I know Muslim girls, we're so excited to come and watch,
Speaker 2: especially Coco winning, and so what if we get a
Speaker 2: champion from there, a woman champion? Yep, you know. I
Speaker 2: don't know. These are questions I have. I think about
Speaker 2: things all the time. But how do we make it
Speaker 2: better for everyone? And you know that everyone wants more
Speaker 2: money all the time. There's a lot of money there's
Speaker 2: It's a very difficult thing. Is because money equals opportun unity.
Speaker 2: So I don't know, but I think it was up
Speaker 2: to the WTA. I'm not the boss. I'm not in
Speaker 2: the WTA that way at all. But I think it's
Speaker 2: up to the players today to help shape the future.
Speaker 2: But I don't know. I'd love to hear, but I'd
Speaker 2: love to hear from them what their experience was.
Speaker 3: Yeah, but I think what is important and I think
Speaker 3: what you should share as we come to the close
Speaker 3: is that.
Speaker 1: But you still own me what what you admire about Alana.
Speaker 2: So I want to do that, but I think order
Speaker 2: to start and stop though, I think just.
Speaker 3: Give some clarity on. The WTA was founded on three principles.
Speaker 2: And it wasn't this equality and social justice and all.
Speaker 2: Here's the three things. The original nine in nineteen seventy
Speaker 2: came up with the three things, and we had our
Speaker 2: first tour Virginia Slims in seventy one when you were born. Really,
Speaker 2: thank you. Here are the three These are the three
Speaker 2: things that any girl in this world, if she were
Speaker 2: good enough, would finally have a place to compete.
Speaker 4: Really.
Speaker 2: Number two, that she would be appreciated for her accomplishments,
Speaker 2: not only her looks. And that's all they talked about.
Speaker 2: Then they still talk too much, but it's better than
Speaker 2: it was. Number Three, and really important to all of
Speaker 2: us is we'd be able to make a living money
Speaker 2: playing the sport we love. Those are the three things.
Speaker 2: I didn't get into equality. I didn't get into anything.
Speaker 2: I just wanted to. You know, we had this place
Speaker 2: for the future generations, and everything we did was about
Speaker 2: the future generations. Every time we had a meeting, every
Speaker 2: time we had a discussion. I don't think players are
Speaker 2: doing that anymore.
Speaker 3: Well, you say they live in your dream.
Speaker 2: They're living the dream, but they need to bring the sport.
Speaker 2: I mean, I remember tip none of my publicist telling me.
Speaker 2: He says, I don't feel like the players bring the
Speaker 2: sport with him anymore. And what he's saying is it's
Speaker 2: our job to motivate others to play, to appreciate what
Speaker 2: we have in our history, but also take it to
Speaker 2: the next step. Got to take your game with you.
Speaker 2: And I don't think the players think like that anymore.
Speaker 2: We have to change that again. We've got to go
Speaker 2: back to not back, but forward to getting them to
Speaker 2: think about the future generation, not just about themselves. I
Speaker 2: want them to start saying we and us and talk
Speaker 2: about others and not just talk about themselves the eye word,
Speaker 2: and it's really really important. And I don't think the players.
Speaker 2: I don't know what. I don't know what you guys.
Speaker 2: I think we want to keep taking and growing our sport,
Speaker 2: allowing kids to play. There's a place for them to play,
Speaker 2: create more opportunities, but it takes work with every generation.
Speaker 2: I mean, Correna Scott King and I probably won't get
Speaker 2: this right as a saying. She says that you never win,
Speaker 2: that every generation has to work and whatever to win,
Speaker 2: every to have freedom, and every generation has to do that.
Speaker 2: So it's so important. I didn't get that right. But
Speaker 2: it's about it's about out well, it's about give ever
Speaker 2: wins freedom that every generation has to earn and keep
Speaker 2: fighting every generation. But this generation needs to understand that.
Speaker 2: I'm not sure they do well well, they need to
Speaker 2: do that because it's it's our responsibility. There. We are
Speaker 2: making more money than than we ever thought possible. Well,
Speaker 2: I mean I thought we'd make millions. That's good. Now
Speaker 2: they are. But the point is with that, I think
Speaker 2: comes the responsibility. It goes very deep, and that's where
Speaker 2: we need to connect history with the future because the
Speaker 2: more you know about history, the more you know about yourself.
Speaker 2: But the most important thing, it helps us shape the future.
Speaker 2: And I know what, I don't know if players think
Speaker 2: about that today. And we have to create that culture
Speaker 2: within the WTA again and make it exciting and make
Speaker 2: us think about others not just ourselves. I think it
Speaker 2: creates it's so much more fun when you think about others. Anyway,
Speaker 2: Talking about Alana, which I would love to talk about,
Speaker 2: I told you she was a great salesperson before, but
Speaker 2: what I really love about her is that she is
Speaker 2: totally loyal. She's amazingly loyal to people and her friends,
Speaker 2: very giving. She's an aries that's why. Oh that's true.
Speaker 2: Is that what you are?
Speaker 4: Yep?
Speaker 2: Of course. Anyway, she's very giving and you should know that.
Speaker 2: We're like a diapote now. And she's really smart. I
Speaker 2: love smart. I love intelligent. She's really intelligent. And a
Speaker 2: lot of people, I don't think realize that. They always
Speaker 2: look at me, and I'm like, no, look at her,
Speaker 2: look at Halana, No, look at me. She's the one
Speaker 2: that really makes things work. And I just think we
Speaker 2: really love each other. I think, you know, love is
Speaker 2: really important.
Speaker 3: Yeah, we complement each other. I think, as Billy says,
Speaker 3: she dreams it and then I'm trying.
Speaker 2: To build it.
Speaker 3: That's true. But I do think, you know, being here
Speaker 3: in Malaga, and when you think about the Billy Jean
Speaker 3: King Kap, Billy hates the word legacy. She says, others
Speaker 3: define that. She wants to keep going right every single day.
Speaker 2: No, We're measured on our contribution. Yeah, and so I
Speaker 2: think other people think about us. We should be measured
Speaker 2: on our contribution.
Speaker 3: And we really look at this competition as a platform
Speaker 3: to empower young women and girls and others. And I
Speaker 3: think we will be judged. The success will be judged
Speaker 3: when of these one hundred and thirty seven countries or
Speaker 3: more have more women representation on their federation boards, have
Speaker 3: more women coaches, have more women in media, have more
Speaker 3: women in officiating. Because I think we can use it
Speaker 3: as a platform to build. And the great thing about Billy,
Speaker 3: it's never about what we're doing now, what can we
Speaker 3: help build for the future. So we really feel, you know,
Speaker 3: it's a privilege to be in this position and we
Speaker 3: take it very seriously.
Speaker 1: Well, I remember Billy telling to me, I think it
Speaker 1: was thirty nine years of age at the time. I
Speaker 1: was playing World Team Tennis, and she said, keep playing
Speaker 1: as long as you can a kid, And I said, Billy,
Speaker 1: I'm thirty nine, pretty sure I'm doing that. But she
Speaker 1: always encouraged me to keep going.
Speaker 2: Because people when you cannot play as a Oh no,
Speaker 2: I wish I could still, it's a killer.
Speaker 1: Especially with the money right now.
Speaker 2: Oh my gosh, don't.
Speaker 5: That that's another decision, you know, I think Renee, I
Speaker 5: think it's fantastic that you have stayed in the tennis.
Speaker 3: Business, that you love the sport, that you continue to
Speaker 3: promote it, and you're always trying to learn new things
Speaker 3: and help grow the sports. I think what you're doing
Speaker 3: with the tennis podcast, what you're doing with iHeart uh
Speaker 3: and just having you here, I think is fantastic because
Speaker 3: I think every generation has something to add to the history,
Speaker 3: but more important, the future. And I have never seen
Speaker 3: anyone other than belie Jin with as much passion and
Speaker 3: purpose for everything they do. And I have never seen
Speaker 3: anyone attend more women's sports. If I want to know
Speaker 3: anything about women's sports, give me to just go to
Speaker 3: your feed. And so honestly, you are truly committed, and
Speaker 3: I think we're lucky to have you promoting and loving
Speaker 3: women's sports, and tennis is just one of the very
Speaker 3: few things you do a whole lot more so, thank you, oh.
Speaker 1: Thank you, guys. It's been an absolute pleasure. I tell you,
Speaker 1: I'm not kidding. Get your butts to Malaga. It's going
Speaker 1: to be here next year.
Speaker 2: No, well, either way, get.
Speaker 1: Hit to Maliga, the third largest I think in Spain.
Speaker 2: In Spain, it is truly beautiful, beautiful.
Speaker 1: Absolutely beautiful. I went down to Marlbay a couple of
Speaker 1: days ago. Well, there's some beautiful tennis results down there.
Speaker 1: Cruise The bottom line is wherever the Billy Jean King
Speaker 1: camp is, please make an effort to attend.
Speaker 2: Come.
Speaker 1: It's great atmosphere, what you guys have done, what you're
Speaker 1: building with all your sponsors, particularly with ELF. It's been
Speaker 1: great because there've been such a conduit for women's sports
Speaker 1: in so many ways, particularly at Iurheart and here at
Speaker 1: the village in king Cup changing the boardrooms and they
Speaker 1: are changing the boardrooms. I mean so many people, so
Speaker 1: many and he could learn so much from them. And
Speaker 1: by the way, they're doing very well for themselves, so
Speaker 1: that's probably a reason to put some more women.
Speaker 2: I know you do well.
Speaker 3: They are amazing. But I don't want to forget game Bridge,
Speaker 3: who are ensuring that we can pay people equally for
Speaker 3: the men, and Microsoft who are helping with technology. Franklin, Templeton, Magellan.
Speaker 2: We have all. They're all the relationship that you guys
Speaker 2: have reships, so.
Speaker 3: Nothing happens without partners, and so we're very grateful for those.
Speaker 3: And again, you need the best athletes, you need great facilities,
Speaker 3: and we're excited about turning the ship and building the
Speaker 3: future of the Beiligian kinkup.
Speaker 1: Well, I can promise you guys, I will be wherever
Speaker 1: you're at.
Speaker 2: It's a pleasure to be with you. Guys.
Speaker 1: You're two awesome, amazing people. I do consider you my friends.
Speaker 1: I'm really lucky to have friends. And it's been great
Speaker 1: and I can't wait for the matches today to start
Speaker 1: the semi final STUF here a Billy Jinking Cup today.
Speaker 2: Wherever we decide to put.
Speaker 1: This podcast, whether it be today or you know, in
Speaker 1: a week or in two days, it's just been awesome
Speaker 1: to be here. I'm so happy just to be your guys' friends.
Speaker 1: So thanks, thanks for thanks for being my noth star.
Speaker 3: Thank you for always showing up.
Speaker 2: I tried. Listen, I've got showing up. Its huge and
Speaker 2: wedding by the way, listen, I do show up.
Speaker 1: You don't see it, but I do have passion tattooed
Speaker 1: on my arm.
Speaker 4: So that's.
Speaker 2: Passion. Not on my as, not on my ass.
Speaker 1: I definitely don't have it, although maybe I.
Speaker 2: Should think about it.
Speaker 1: It's on my right arm, Billy, because I'm right handed,
Speaker 1: and that's what I believe in passion. If you're not
Speaker 1: passionate about things in your life, you'll never be successful,
Speaker 1: as you have shown.
Speaker 2: Both of you through the years.
Speaker 1: Fun Yeah, of course, you know, Billy, we could Lanna
Speaker 1: tell everyone that story that you told me. It was
Speaker 1: pretty funny. You said about there are two people in
Speaker 1: the world. Two people in the world, some talk ten
Speaker 1: thousand words a day, and then there's you and Billy.
Speaker 3: Well, Billie's pretty full.
Speaker 2: She's pretty, very very full. I'll stop talking, all right,
Speaker 2: all right.
Speaker 1: And by the way, before before I do want to
Speaker 1: get this on the record. Congratulations Billy on being the
Speaker 1: first ever athlete, female athlete or athlete to get the
Speaker 1: Congressional Female Female Athlete.
Speaker 2: Yes, same with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. We want
Speaker 2: an athlete. I mean, I'm like, really, I'm the first.
Speaker 2: I should not have been the first, and we have
Speaker 2: so many Well I hate.
Speaker 1: To say this, but if anyone's going to be the
Speaker 1: first to get the Congressional Medal of Honor, Billy Jean,
Speaker 1: we have more.
Speaker 2: Now, congratulations the last. You never want to be the first. Lad.
Speaker 2: You always want to open the door, Billy.
Speaker 1: You you want to be the first. You want to
Speaker 1: be the first, and the bloody trophy and now you
Speaker 1: want the first metal Well done.
Speaker 2: On that note, she's smiling. Guld have got it.
Speaker 4: Here we go.
Speaker 2: I have all these I'm going to try to get
Speaker 2: it posthumously for them. Are you kidding? See here we go?
Speaker 2: You heard it here first.
Speaker 3: So maybe this is the first series in this podcast.
Speaker 2: Yeah, okay, there you go. Well, I don't even tell
Speaker 2: the story of pressures or privilege was fed cup? You
Speaker 2: know with Lindsay Downport. Do you want to tell us
Speaker 2: a story? If you want, you're gonna have to edit.
Speaker 2: I mean, it's up too long. No, I was in
Speaker 2: I can tell exactly. I mean I can. For bloody,
Speaker 2: it's appropriate because we're playing Spain. We were playing now,
Speaker 2: I mean who we're Our host country is Spain and
Speaker 2: it was a raunche in kamcheetah. Anyway, and Lindsay Downport,
Speaker 2: who was number one of the world four times. You know,
Speaker 2: she's six ' three and of course, like I'm getting
Speaker 2: its bad neck because they're all much taller than I am.
Speaker 2: I'm looking up all the time. And she comes over
Speaker 2: to me and she's panicking. She's got to play a
Speaker 2: Ron Sanchez Vicario, who she ha what's her problem? No, no,
Speaker 2: it doesn't matter. And she was uptight because she wants
Speaker 2: to win so badly. This is what happens when you
Speaker 2: play for your country. It just adds to the tension.
Speaker 2: She says, oh, help me, I don't know what to do.
Speaker 2: And I said, okay, you're going to beat her today,
Speaker 2: And I said, just remember, champions adjust and press is
Speaker 2: a privilege. She's looking down at me because she's so tall.
Speaker 2: Oh that's great, that's going to really help. Thanks, And
Speaker 2: she won. But that's where that that's where pressures of
Speaker 2: privileged and champions have just come from.
Speaker 1: It's such a great gam now because a lot of
Speaker 1: players touch that. I see them touch a lot of
Speaker 1: players I would touch it on their way. You can't
Speaker 1: touch the kipling one unless.
Speaker 4: You like.
Speaker 2: Personally, if you're a professional athlete, that kipling one is
Speaker 2: not worth anything. I hate it every time I used
Speaker 2: to look at it. Seriously, you're going to treat winning
Speaker 2: and losing the same. If you show me a player
Speaker 2: that does that, they're not a winner, so they're a loser.
Speaker 2: So every time I see the kimpling.
Speaker 1: I go bullshit, Right, you know, Mike draw on that note,
Speaker 1: Pressures of privilege.
Speaker 2: It's been a pleasure. I love you both so much.
Speaker 1: Thanks a lot, by guys, blessing.
Speaker 2: You've got You've got enough for a few podcasts classic.
Speaker 2: You mentioned that your blessing list, Yes, every morning?
Speaker 1: About that?
Speaker 2: Well, just people I love. I make sure I put
Speaker 2: on summer on. Sometimes summer on like Susan Williams on
Speaker 2: every time, because she changed every time. I see, it's
Speaker 2: your fault. I've had this such great life. You know,
Speaker 2: I just saw her at the Women's Sports Foundation. She
Speaker 2: was there, she said, she said, I know you were
Speaker 2: at the w n B. I okay, cool, sorry, nice problem.
Speaker 2: Was it the Liberty game that night? No, it was
Speaker 2: the playoffs. Believe me, I went to one. I love
Speaker 2: the Liberty. The reason I asked you that question is
Speaker 2: can say I'm lucky. My parents are always on it,
Speaker 2: my brother, and then there's different people in my life.
Speaker 2: Alana is of course on it all the time.
Speaker 5: Well, I just I have this generosity that's huge from gratitude.
Speaker 4: You're right, conduct induct conduct in conduct