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Billie Jean King targets gender unity

By Larry Fine

Tennis pioneer Billie Jean King, who founded the Women's Tennis Association 35 years ago, says her real dream was to bring men's and women's players' unions together under one banner.

"If people knew the history, the would know that I never wanted us to be separate from the guys," King told Reuters in a telephone interview on Monday.

"I went to the ATP and they wouldn't let us in. So that was never my wish.

"My wish was always to be together, to be one voice, one power for the sport. My dream before I die is that both associations should be together again."

King, a winner of 39 grand slam titles including 12 singles crowns, 16 doubles and 11 mixed doubles titles, is known as a powerful advocate for women's rights having also founded the Women's Sports Foundation and Women's Sports Magazine in 1974, the year after the WTA was formed ... more

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