Tennis legend Billie Jean King slammed opposition to equal grand slam prize money for men and women as “really sad” on Thursday and called for more men to follow Andy Murray’s lead by hiring a female coach.
The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) founder also said men’s tennis should emulate the women’s game by ditching its ban on mid-match coaching, one of its key features.
King was speaking at the WTA Finals in Singapore, where the maximum prize money of $US2.19 million ($A2.37 million) is more than she earned in a career that included eight Open-era grand slam wins.
“No. It’s difficult,” she told reporters, when asked if she challenges male players who oppose equal prize money in grand slams.
“You know, sports are a microcosm of society, so it teaches you how the world still perceives gender inequality. It’s not fun. It’s really sad actually.
“I find men who have daughters are much more understanding. If they have a boy and a girl, for instance, they want both of their children to have equal opportunity.
“But different cultures also prevent that. Just the way the culture is set up. The way we’re brainwashed. It’s very, very difficult, and we’ve got to keep trying to change things.”
Men’s grand slam matches are played as the best of five sets while women’s are best of three, leading to opposition from some players who say the men are working harder for the same money.
After King, 70, founded the WTA in 1973, players competed for a total of $US309,000 ($A334,000) in the first season — similar to what today’s stars can earn for two wins at this week’s elite WTA Finals in Singapore.
This year, the WTA’s 2,500 member players, representing 92 nations, competed for a record $US118 million ($A127m) in prize money at 54 WTA events and four grand slams.
But King said there was much progress to be made, including in the area of coaching where Britain’s Murray is unusual in hiring a woman, French former star Amelie Mauresmo.
“I just think it would be helpful if we had more women coaches. Any time you hurt that human capital, only have half of it, you’re missing out on a lot,” she said.
“It’s like having all women coaches and no men. That wouldn’t be right either.”
King also said the men should follow the women’s example by allowing coaching during matches, which is currently banned — often leading to clandestine signalling from the players’ boxes.
“I think they should have coaching for the men and the women. And I think they should be able to signal, because they do anyway, from the stands,” she said.
