Serena Williams wins inaugural Billie Jean King Cup, on-court tribute honors King
Published: March 3, 2009
"Billie Jean King is one of my role models," Serena Williams said Monday, before capturing the Cup named for the pioneer. "Not only is she a role model for tennis, but she transcended that and she went to be a role model for just women’s sports in general."
On March 2, 2009, at Madison Square Garden, 2008 Grand Slam champions Serena Williams, Venus Williams and Ana Ivanovic and year-end world No. 1 Jelena Jankovic played for a $1.2 million prize at this one-night-only, single-elimination event to celebrate tennis pioneer Billie Jean King. The Showdown marked the return of professional tennis to HBO and was telecast live at 7:30 p.m. E.S.T.
Serena Williams defeated sister Venus 6-4, 6-3 in the final, winning five of 14 break point chances over the reigning Wimbledon champion to capture the $400,000 top prize. "It was really intense," Serena Williams said of her sister. "She never gives up. That's what's so hard about playing her. She hits so hard and she runs down everything. That is what's so frustrating about her."
In the one-set semifinal, Serena beat Ivanovic, 6-3, and Venus beat Jankovic, 6-4.
On this historic night, our founder, Billie Jean King, named one of Life Magazine’s “100 Most Important Americans of the 20th Century” and considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time, was honored, both during the HBO broadcast and on-court.
Former President Bill Clinton and sportscaster Leslie Visser honored King, and athletes paying tribute on-court included fellow tennis visionary Rosie Casals, legendary auto-racer Janet Guthrie, former WNBA star Kym Hampton and figure skaters Nancy Kerrigan and Sarah Hughes.
As President Clinton addressed the crowd of more than 12,000 in attendance, he encouraged them to face America's current hardships with the "heart of a champion," like King and lamented how he and his wife, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, still chat about the legendary Battle of the Sexes.
Groups of girls from The Leslie Allen Foundation and the Harlem Children's Zone also took part in the on-court tribute. Both organizations run the GoGirlGo! Educational Curriculum, a program that was a brainchild of King's aimed at reducing health-risk behaviors in girls ages 8-18.
The Women’s Sports Foundation is one of two charities that benefited from this premier evening in women’s sports.
The BNP Paribas Showdown for the Billie Jean King Cup is also the culmination of “Tennis Night in America,” the United States Tennis Association’s (USTA) initiative to grow youth participation in the sport of tennis. The USTA held its first Youth Registration Night, when kids and teenagers all over the country can begin to sign up for spring and summer league play. To find a registration event near you, visit www.tennisnight.com