Which brings us to a hot topic of the moment in tennis: the eagerness of the Saudis, who recently sparked a civil war in golf, to start hosting marquee events. While the men’s tour plans to hold a season-opening ATP tournament in Riyadh every January, the WTA is considering a multi-year deal for a grand final in late October. Once again, Navratilova – along with her great 1980s rival Chris Evert – expressed concern about entrusting such a symbolic event to a country where women cannot marry without the consent of a male guardian .
“I think we should dialogue with them,” says the Saudi king. “I don’t know what’s going on with the WTA Finals. But I find that commitment generally helps change better than no commitment. If the whole world is going to go anyway, should we be part of it or not?
Does she talk about these kinds of questions to her former classmates? “If we’re together, we talk about it, for sure. But we haven’t been in the same room lately. Plus, they both had cancer and went through so much. I don’t want to continue arguing. Life is so short. Our friendship is more important than anything.
“Chris and I are really close. When she started at 15, I always defended her and she never forgot it. Many players were upset because she was receiving so much attention. I kept telling them, ‘You guys, she’s going to be an all-time great.’ And guess what, she’s going to put money in your pocket. And they were like, ‘Oh, we hadn’t thought of it that way.’
As King prepares to celebrate her 80th birthday later this month, she is more visible than she has been in years. Recent engagements include appearances on CMT Smashing Glass (a tribute to genre-defying female artists), The Masked Singer and the Women’s World Cup Final in Sydney. The flight back from Australia arrived barely in time for the US Open tennis tournament, where she was the guest of honor. But she insisted on doing both.
“When my mother was 80,” King says, “she said, ‘Billie, you’ve got to keep moving or it’s over.’ She’s in my brain every day. My parents suffered from Alzheimer’s disease; my brother understands. So I’m worried about that. And everyone says, “You’re doing whatever it takes to not get it.” You stay busy, your brain still works, you still travel and move.
“Ilana got me playing tennis again during Covid. It hits me directly, because I can’t run anymore. But my pulse is increasing. It’s really important to sweat.
King’s decision to film The Masked Singer was another example of his maxim that “I don’t like saying no to things.” Additionally, the producers were preparing a special about Elton John, and she has been close to him since they met at a dinner in 1973.
The two have a lot in common. Visually, they could almost be siblings with their penchant for oversized colorful glasses. Less superficially, they both came from working-class backgrounds, struggled with their sexuality, and eventually struggled with addiction. “It was really weird,” King says of her performance in The Masked Singer of Philadelphia Freedom — a song John wrote for her in 1974 — when she wore a huge “Royal Hen” costume and vest. of ice to prevent it from overheating.
“My range is about three notes. I don’t think Elton has seen it yet. When he does, he’ll give me a hard time!
In three decades of interviewing, I’ve never met anyone who asks so many questions. King wants to know my opinion on the Saudi question, if I’ve ever met Elton, if my parents are still alive.
Then, as we head down the hall, she finds herself immersed in conversation with a few passing physiotherapists. His assistants, Tip and Josh, look at their watches and shrug in mild exasperation. To borrow from King’s earlier quote: “I like to talk to everyone and I always listen. »
