The Billie Jean King Cup has a new part-owner: Billie Jean King
The Billie Jean King Cup has a new part-owner: Billie Jean King herself
The Billie Jean King Cup has a new part-owner: Billie Jean King herself.
The International Tennis Federation and TWG Global, a holding company led by Los Angeles Dodgers principal owner Mark Walter, signed a partnership agreement Thursday for a joint venture to market and promote the women’s tennis competition that used to be called the Fed Cup and was re-named to honor King in 2020.
The new entity will be called Billie Jean King Cup Limited, with the ITF holding 51% and TWG Global 49%, and it will seek new sponsorships and broadcast and commercial partnerships.
“We don’t think enough people know what the Billie Jean King Cup is. It is still the largest women’s global team competition,” said Ilana Kloss, a former professional tennis player and King’s wife, who will chair the board of directors for the venture. “We think it’s very important to have a team focused daily on building the Billie Jean King Cup, and investing in the brand.”
This year’s Billie Jean King Cup Finals will be held in Seville, Spain, on Nov. 7-12.
For the second year in a row, the champions will receive the same prize money as the winners of the men’s Davis Cup.
“We’ve made a commitment to be bigger, better and bolder. And this is just kind of following on with that,” said David Haggerty, the president of the ITF.
The intention, Haggerty said, is “to really make sure that we make this a sustainable model that we grow, to give women the same opportunities that men have, as well,” including as players, coaches and national federation officials in tennis.
“It really is a true partnership. I mean, obviously, the ITF have incredible expertise in running events, knowing the rules,
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