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Q&A Billie Jean King on the Olympics
Posted: Tuesday June 20, 2000 03:17 PM
Billie Jean King, who guided the U.S. to a gold medal sweep in 1996, spoke with members of the media after being named the coach of the 2000 women's Olympic tennis team. King: I just want to tell everybody how excited I am that we will be going to Sydney this year and probably have another Dream Team like we did last year in 1999 when we did defeat Russia at Stanford University for the Fed Cup. I can tell you I have talked to the players over the last few months and I can tell you there is a lot of tension among them and anxiety because they desperately want to go to the Olympics. And, of course, we announce the team Monday after Wimbledon, so we would be getting down to a very short time period here, and it is going to be difficult because somebody is going to be left out. We are only allowed three women's singles. I can take a doubles player or the four top singles players, but -- so it is going to be difficult for somebody. I'd like to open it to questions, but I would like to say how proud I am to be the captain of the 2000 Olympic team and look forward to bringing back some golds for the United States of America. Question: I am wondering how coaching the Olympics team is different than your responsibilities as Fed Cup in terms of your role with the players? King: Well, the difference is we practice as a team and then they go play a singles and doubles tournament, so they hit against each other for the days preceding the start time and when they actually play the tournament. In 1996, in Atlanta, the players really did have to play against each other more. Remember, we are under the auspices of the IOC and we don't have as much control over the events. We have to really go by whatever they did and it was difficult in that, it was hard to get practice partners. It is hard to get plastic, to get badges, so it is really difficult, and I know the USTA has done a remarkable job just trying to make it as easy as possible for Sydney in getting our so-called Fed Cup family down there as much as possible. That is where we find it is different. We do have to adjust because the players had to hit against each other more. I didn't have as many hitting partners. This year we are not sure what is going to happen yet. But it is difficult because what would happen is they play against, practice against, each other. For instance, Mary Joe and Lindsay had to play against each other, I believe, it was in the quarterfinals in 1996 and that was a very difficult moment for me. Difficult also as a coach because -- and what I did -- what I thought the right thing to do and I decided to do, I told both of them that I would sit in the lounge; not even be in the stands because if they look up and you are looking cross-eyed or funny, they are thinking you want the other player to win. So those are the kind of things that we have to face when we go down there that I have to face as a captain. That is different than Fed Cup where I have got the team playing against another team and they all know I am for them on every ball. Question: I was hoping you can talk a minute about the tough selection process you mentioned at the top of the call. There are players like Corina that have played well in doubles with Lindsay; specifically about her and a little of your thought process as you try to figure out who is going to have to stay back? King: First of all, I don't have a choice. I don't get to choose like I do for Fed Cup. They are very strict rules with the IOC, and I have to go totally by ranking. So in a way it helps me -- keeps it easier for me, but it also is very tough because we are only allowed four players. It would be great if we can take five more players to the Olympics because everyone wants to be a part of this wonderful occasion and represent their country. Right now it is not looking good for Corina and the reason for that is because Lindsay has been injured and they have not really been able to play. Lindsay has had to default, so it has been really hard because I know I talked to Lindsay. She feels really bad about what is going on, but she has had no choice because she has had a lot of spasms in her back, as most of you know, and had trouble at the French and even before that she had trouble. I hadn't had a chance to talk to her, but I am leaving for Wimbledon [Wednesday], so I will get a chance to talk to her when I get there. That is the difficulty because we have all become really good friends now. I know in the last few years, if you go to the major tournaments or the tournaments you will see the Americans going and sitting in the stands rooting for the other Americans. I would say that has been a huge swing, particularly for the women, and probably even more so for the men the last couple of years. Also, the men are getting older, so they are starting to realize relationships are more important than just winning tennis matches. But the women have always been pretty good, but they are even stronger now than ever because getting to know each other during Fed Cup, and they have really become friends. Lindsay played World Team Tennis in Sacramento with Corina Morariu, and that is how they have got to play doubles together. Most of you realize they won Wimbledon doubles last year. That is -- so it is good, but it is difficult because somebody is going to be left behind. It is not fun. Question: I was wondering who in the rankings are the top players now that you are looking at? King: The top Americans obviously are Davenport, Venus Williams, Monica Seles, Serena Williams. Then we have a pretty big drop in the rankings. Then I think it goes Jennifer Capriati, Chanda Rubin, Amy Frazier, Lisa Raymond. Lisa, of course, just won tournament in Birmingham -- I haven't looked at her ranking now. But the top ones are Lindsay, Venus, Monica and Serena. Someone is not going in the singles and the doubles. People are not going to be going both in the singles and the doubles. It is really hard. Question: Have you had any direct conversations with all of these players? King: Yes. Question: They are all very eager as well as anxious? King: Yes. They all want to go. Now, will they change their minds? That is always a possibility with tennis players; especially if there is a lot of injury involved. We have had some injuries again and, like I always tell the media, you know, tennis and every sport is always going in a tenuous position. Like the American women are dominating, but also we have had injuries again this year, Lindsay's back; Venus's wrist, Serena's knee, all these things do play into it. You kind of hold your breath that everybody will be healthy in September right after the US Open when we all go down to Sydney. Question: About the discrepancy in the selection process between the women's teams and the men's teams, who determines that the men can bring a dedicated doubles team and if is there any discussion about that changing? King: That was really an ATP ruling and the women of the WTA decided not to do that. That is why there is the discrepancy. Do I agree with them? No. But that is what they decided. It comes from the players themselves. The ITF wanted the women -- they said, if you allow the Olympics -- the matches to count for ranking, then we will let you have another extra player. But the women do not want the matches to count for ranking. The men said they would and therefore the men get to have more people going. That is the difference because of the ITF being our international governing body of tennis. Question: How early will you guys be heading down to Sydney to get used to the time change and condition? King: We have the US Open to play first and so we go through a processing, let's see, what we do is we fly into San Diego -- let's see, I have got my calendar -- we go to San Diego the night of the 12th. We go through team processing on the morning of the 13th which takes about four to five hours and then we will take a flight from San Diego to L.A. and from L.A. to Sydney we will fly that evening. The opening ceremonies -- obviously we miss a day because we cross the international date line and then on the 15th the opening ceremonies happen that evening and tennis starts on the 19th. Question: I am wondering which country do you feel will bring the biggest challenge to the American women? King: I think until I see who is entered for their countries, I probably won't be able to answer that very well. I think you have to look at the countries that are represented obviously by the top players. If Hingis is willing to go and play, you have to know that she obviously would be in there. I really -- I can't answer that until I know who is available, to be honest with you. I feel like I am not really answering your question very well. Ask me after we know who is playing for whom, then I had can probably give you a much better answer. Question: You have done everything now. This is your second tour of Olympics coaching. How special is this compared to the others? King: It is very special because it includes all the different sports. It includes Major League sports, includes very minor sports that are very obscure. It is a wonderful experience to meet athletes from throughout the world, but also athletes in different sports. It really does bring a feeling of everyone really being together from a global sense. It is a great experience. You cannot really realize how excited athletes get about meeting other athletes; particularly from other sports. It is just amazing to see everybody's faces light up and go: I got to meet so and so -- they are always talking about it. If they can, they try to go to other events like, say, basketball or if they know somebody from their hometown maybe that is in another sport, they will go and watch. It is quite interesting to see how these relationships evolve over the timeframe of being there. It is just incredible, the opening ceremonies and the closing ceremonies. When you see all these different athletes from different countries coming together as one and competing and hopefully competing fairly. You have to remember, I didn't get to play in the Olympics because I came at around the time when we were still feuding with the IOC. The tennis people we left years ago in 1924, and we didn't come back until 1988. I was a judge or whatever we were called in 1984 when it was an exhibition sport in L.A., and I was very fortunate to go and watch, but I had retired in 1938 so just missed -- so I think for me to be able to coach and go down there is special for me because of that. At least I am being a part of the Olympics. Even though obviously missed out as a player, so it has been great for me. Question: This is completely different than Fed Cup because you don't have this team. Do you feel that it should be more on a team basis? King: That is a pretty loaded question for someone like me because, yes, I prefer teams. I know McEnroe and I do. One of my fantasies and dreams is to have World Team Tennis be the official team sport down there because it could -- we can take care of both genders. I would love to coach a team. Even the players say it feels kind of funny to practice and then have to go out and sometimes have to play against each other. Although they do try to prevent Americans playing, I think, against each other or the same country people. I think quarterfinals is where they would first meet. So they do try to help as much as they can within the draw. I am learning as we go every time because four years go by and you forget; you have to learn all over again. Question: Could you tell us what degree of coaching are you able to do if any, during play at all? King: I am not allowed to coach. I was so hot in Atlanta, I went up there and I had this towel over my head the whole time so nobody could see me anyway. I am not allowed to coach. I am only allowed to cheer and be as positive as I can. I would like coaching. I think we should have it, but we do not, and the dilemma would be if an American plays an American like the time I mentioned earlier when Mary Joe had to play Lindsay and it was just a horrible day for me. I just went in the lounge. I just said to them, I am going into the lounge, so you don't think I am for one or the other more. Then we started laughing because of it so at least we had a good time around it. But it was difficult. Question: What kind of regimen do you foresee for the team in terms of practice. King: We don't have as many days this year as we did in Atlanta. We almost had -- we had Fed Cup; then we went straight to Atlanta. We were all together almost a month because of that. I really think it was an incredible experience. We are not going to have that luxury this time. Obviously because of the US Open, but we will have let's see one, two, three -- see only four, five days before we start, but the good thing is because these same players have played Fed Cup together, we don't have that length of time to get to know each other that we used to have to go through because we are all pretty good friends. It really works pretty quickly. We get right back into it. But we work out pretty hard. But you have got to remember this is later in the year. I have a feeling they are going to be more tired. I have to take all of that into consideration. If someone is just coming off winning the US Open, I have to be very alert to that, the same as when Serena won the US Open, then came to Fed Cup, she had a cold. She was having a letdown. She is young. She didn't even know what a "letdown" meant. We had to go through all that. My job as a coach is to create an environment that absolutely allows them to be the best they can be. So I kind of have to really go by the seat of the pants every single moment. Kind of on a tight rope. Hopefully I am aware and I adjust constantly to make it right for all of them. That's really my job. Question: I know you said you had spoken with all the top players. You have to go by the rankings. If a player who doesn't qualify for singles, have they indicated they agree to go just strictly as a doubles player like, let us say, Serena didn't make it in singles, do you think she'd go for doubles? King: Well, it is my job to choose who I think should go for doubles and to be honest, probably -- I am not sure how I am going to do the doubles. I can't answer that. Let me give you some different scenarios, yes, she can go as a doubles player. Or I can take a Lisa Raymond or, yes, that is the type of things that you have to deal with. Question: Is that is something you will decide prior to that Monday after Wimbledon? King I have already been working on it, believe me. I have been talking to players, listening to them, how are they feeling. What is difficult about this and all the athletes, in the Olympics, it is so difficult is that we have to make -- determine who is going to be on the team Monday after Wimbledon, and yet we are not going to Sydney until September. A lot of things can happen in July, August and early September, so it is really difficult. I know I have talked to athletes in other sports and they all have the same feelings just have to idea -- make the decision Monday after, maybe in September, you know, they are not even playing anymore. Question: In relation to when the team must be decided and the doubles scenarios you were talking about, do we know who is playing at Wimbledon as doubles partners among these top four, and how that may or may not impact with the decision how they play? King: I'd have to go through the point, and I don't even know. Lindsay will play with Morariu, and they won last year. So that is difficult for Corina Morariu because just to keep the points the same, they have got to win. Who knows with Lindsay and her condition with her back if even they will end up finishing -- I don't know. Lisa Raymond is right now No. 1 in doubles so that puts her right up there and she is also doing better in singles. So it is difficult. King: Who's Lisa's partner? King: Rennae Stubbs who is from Australia. So I don't have to worry about her. Question: How about the Williams girls? King: They always play together usually. I think they are. Unless you know something I don't. And I haven't seen the draws yet. But I just talked to Serena the other day. I didn't get through to Venus, but she said she is going over, so I talked to Monica, I missed Lindsay, I will see Lindsay over there. I can go up in the members dressing room because I won the singles there. You are a member if you win the singles at Wimbledon so that is very helpful to me. I can bop up to the locker room and see them at Wimbledon. It is very helpful. Question: Who would be the highest doubles team?
King: It is goes by individual rankings. Right now Lisa
Raymond is No. 1 in doubles. The reason they do that it way, just so --
because you can play with different partners, so they have individual
rankings. It is Lisa Raymond No. 1; Rennae Stubbs is No. 2; Corina Morariu
No. 3; Mary Pierce is number 4. Martina Hingis is number -- I think -- okay
Lindsay Davenport No. 5; Hingis is No. 6 right now. We just keep going.
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