TORONTO — Tennis legend Billie Jean King said Wednesday that it was a mistake to “go out on top” after she won at Wimbledon in 1975.
King left the singles circuit after a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Evonne Goolagong Cawley in the women’s final of the Grand Slam tournament that year. She missed most of the 1976 campaign before playing more regularly the following season.
King eventually retired from singles play in 1983 at age 40 after winning 67 career WTA singles titles.
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“You know I was taught to go out on top and I did,” King said at a news conference before her induction into the Rogers Cup Hall of Fame. “It was a mistake. It’s one of my mistakes. I still could beat Chris (Evert) and Martina (Navratilova) in 1976, and I should have played at least one more year of singles.
“But I got hooked into, ‘Oh you’ve got to end up on top and I won Wimbledon in ’75, this is a great time to quit.’ What am I doing? I love to play. Stupido.”
King won 39 Grand Slam titles over her career and finished with a stellar 695-155 all-time singles record. The former world No. 1 also won 101 career WTA doubles titles.
A founding member and first president of the WTA, King is also known for her victory over Bobby Riggs in the “Battle of the Sexes” match in 1973. King will turn 70 this November.
Former men’s star Pete Sampras and Tennis Canada chief operating officer Derek Strang are the other Rogers Cup Hall of Fame inductees this year.
