Tennis Legend Billie Jean King’s 4 Responsibilities as a Player

• By Grant Young

If there is anybody you should be eager to glean tennis coaching wisdom from, it’s Billie Jean King. 

A legendary figure in the world of tennis, King has not only made remarkable contributions to the sport through her incredible achievements on the court, but she has also played a vital role in advocating for equality and social justice. 

Over her illustrious career, King won 39 Grand Slam titles, including 20 singles championships, making her one of the most successful players in tennis history. King’s pivotal moment came in 1973 when she defeated Bobby Riggs in the famous "Battle of the Sexes," solidifying her role as an advocate for women's rights in sports. 

Beyond her playing success, King transitioned to coaching and mentoring, emphasizing the importance of mental toughness and confidence in athletes. She founded the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and played a significant role in establishing equal prize money for women in tennis tournaments. King's legacy extends beyond tennis; she remains a staunch advocate for social justice, inspiring generations of athletes to fight for equality on and off the court.

King continues to make an impact as a tennis coach, with her wisdom often focusing on how tennis players can improve their mental strength, which directly translates into how they perform on the court. 

In her ‘Billie Jean King - Secrets of Success from a 39-Time Grand Slam Champion’ clinic, King shares practical training secrets along with some of the key traits that separate champions from "good" or "great" players. We have pulled some of her most compelling lessons — along with her ‘4 Responsibilities as a Player’ — to share with you below. 

4 Responsibilities as a Player

Former tennis player Leslie Allen (who joined the WTA Tour in 1977 and went on to reach a career-high ranking of No. 17 in the world in February 1981) was alongside King during the clinic, and shared a story about King telling her about the four responsibilities a tennis player has while they were on Tour together. They were as follows:

1. Putting the best product out there [on the court] 

2. Make sure you take care of the fans.

3. Make sure you take care of the sponsors.

4. Make sure you take care of the public. 

While this makes a lot of sense for professional tennis players, it might seem like this is useless information for young and amateur players. However, we would argue that it’s just as valuable information if those words are broadened. 

The first responsibility speaks for itself, and it is always sometimes tennis players (and all athletes, for that matter) should be striving for. 

However, the second responsibility will be much different, considering that youth tennis players aren’t going to be having stadiums full of fans pining to watch them play. But young tennis players can take this to mean that they must be respectful of those who are fellow fans of the game. 

In this respect, taking care of the game can mean showing respect for the sport of tennis and playing it the right way, with dignity and integrity. This is something all tennis players can feel responsible for, regardless of their level. 

The third responsibility about sponsors is extremely valuable for amateur and youth players because it can mean being respectful and thankful toward parents and coaches, who are investing time money, and effort toward their tennis careers. These “sponsors” certainly deserve a ton of respect and gratitude, which is a responsibility all tennis players should uphold. 

And the fourth responsibility can be toward fellow players and competitors, as they’re out of a player’s control and can be considered part of the public. 

This is how Billie Jean King’s 4 responsibilities as a player can be translated into powerful messages for youth and amateur tennis players. 

Helping Kids Be Champions in Life

At another point in the clinic, King discusses some of the things her parents and coaches did when she was a young player that increased her enthusiasm and passion for the sport rather than hindered it. 

She said that one of the most valuable things her parents (who rarely watched her play in person) ever did for her was to never ask whether she won or lost games when she returned home. Instead, they would ask her how her day was, and allow her to guide the conversation toward outcomes if she desired. 

This can also be a valuable lesson for coaches. Rather than focusing solely on a player’s outcome or results during the match (whether they won or lost), the coach can focus on the specific things that a player did well or could use improvement on in terms of their actual performance. 

In other words, no player is ever going to play a perfect match, and no player is going to swing and miss at every single shot. So a coach finding something for a player to build on and to work on after every match can help separate emotion from outcome, and get a player to focus on their overall development rather than their win-loss record. 

It’s lessons like these that taught King to love the game of tennis, which turned her into one of the greatest players the sport has ever seen. While it will be difficult for players to reach that same level, that doesn’t mean these same lessons can be used to produce beneficial careers for young athletes, both on and off the court.