Billie Jean King and Ilana Kloss

Rennae sits down with business leader Ilana Kloss and the woman the team competition is named after at the namesake event—the Billie Jean King Cup—live from Malaga, Spain, to talk about the explosive growth in women's sports and highlights from the most important team competition in tennis.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:14):
Hi everybody, and welcome to the Renee Stubbs Tennis Podcast.
We are live literally live in Mulliga, Spain. May I
just say before we get going with our wonderful two guests.

Speaker 2 (00:24):
Help.

Speaker 1 (00:24):
I've just been walking around the city of Mulligha, and
if you haven't been, get your butts over here. It
is goh yes, it is beautiful. It was so surprising.
I thought it was going to be smaller than it
was and it's just fantastic.

Speaker 2 (00:35):
So get over here. Get on a plane.

Speaker 1 (00:36):
It's not far. Was it like a six hour flight
from New York. It's no excuses. It's better than flying
to LA. But now that I've said that from somebody
who does come from LA, got two amazing guests today here,
of course, the week of the Billy Jean King Cup
Alana Class and Billy Jean King.

Speaker 2 (00:53):
Hi, guys. Billy, you have been on the pod before.

Speaker 1 (00:56):
You are not a virgin to my podcast, no, but
Alana is I am.

Speaker 3 (01:01):
Although I have to say I'm a very loyal follower
and great.

Speaker 1 (01:06):
Thank you so much. I appreciate you, guys. It's a
joy actually to have you. You are both I can say
this hopefully both very good personal friends of mine. It's
been a joy to get to know you guys, and
I'll get to that at the end. We have been roommates.
I've done your laundry, Billy and Alana very good for something.

Speaker 2 (01:26):
Yeah, yeah, thank you.

Speaker 1 (01:28):
And before I get into like sort of some of
our personal stuff, I want to talk to you guys,
because Billy, you get interviewed all the time. Alana you
get interviewed all the time independently and sometimes you got
I don't get to have you together, so I won't
know for the people, the listeners, our listeners who love tennis,
how the hell did you guys.

Speaker 2 (01:47):
Ended up being a couple.

Speaker 1 (01:49):
It's been forever, forty five years this year, forty five years.

Speaker 2 (01:53):
Mozzle tough to that and you said the right word
because Ilana's Jewish, I know.

Speaker 3 (01:57):
And well, it's an amazing story. Actually, I started as
a ball girl at the South African Championships and Billy
in the amateur days. Own Williams, who was the promoter
of the South African Championships, brought all of the best
players to South Africa and they were at the time

(02:20):
getting money under the table, dollars a lot, and I
just grew up loving tennis, and my mom sold programs
at the tournament, and I was a ball kid. And
the very first time I saw Billy Gen I was
ten years old. Billy, Jean King, Rosie Cassells, Rod Laver,

(02:45):
Roy Emerson, Tony Roach. I mean, all the best players
in the world came and I was a ball girl,
and I just loved the way Billy served and volleyed,
and you know, always charged the net and had all
of this and passion in the way she played, and
you know, destiny really. I was hitting on a side

(03:07):
court with my dad before the tournament. Billy walked by
the court and she said to my dad, she's pretty good. Yeah,
she said, you know, I recognize your daughter. She's been
picking up balls, and would you mind if I came
on the court and hit a few balls with her.

(03:27):
She walked on the court, she hit with me for
ten minutes. She said to my dad and actually my mom,
who was there as well, your daughter has a lot
of talent, and you know, if she wants to continue
to pursue it, here's my address. Here's the name of
my coach, Frank Brennan Senior. She introduced me to the

(03:47):
Wilson Rap and you know, the rest is history. I
decided that day that I was going to be a
professional tennis player. Little did I know there wasn't pro
tennis yet for women. So that was my first time
I met her. The second time she came back to
South Africa. But when I went to Wimbledon in nineteen seventy.

Speaker 1 (04:07):
Two, because people don't know, you were a very good
player in your own right along.

Speaker 3 (04:10):
It wasn't bad, it wasn't bad. But the world went
to Wimbledon, played in the junior event, bumped into Billy
Jean again. In those days, as a junior, they wouldn't
let you practice anywhere near Wimbledon. So I walked past
the court Billy Jean was warming up for her woman's
singles final with Kristen Kammer at the time, and Billy

(04:33):
Jean said to me, why don't you come and warm
up with us? And so I just unheard of exactly
can you imagine, I mean one on one would be one.

Speaker 2 (04:43):
Have you practiced for your match? Because I knew she
was in the finals of the junior So she says, no,
I can't, I can't play on these I have just
come with us let's go.

Speaker 1 (04:51):
So you three of the court, three of us practice.

Speaker 3 (04:55):
They worked out great, and you know, Billy Jean won
the match again. Vonne google are Gong at the time,
and I won the junior event against Glennis Coles, and
you know, so our lives have intersected obviously since I
was ten years old. But it was just because I

(05:15):
had a passion to play and I wanted to be
a pro. And that's why we always talk about if
you can see it, you can be it, and how
important it is to go to countries like Malaga to
have one hundred and thirty seven nations in the billigean
Kin Cup, because every time there's live tennis in a country,

(05:37):
you are just inspiring the next generation of young kids.
And so you know, we're very committed. I am personally
to playing that forward because it changed my life.

Speaker 2 (05:47):
Yeah, there you go, whoa, I'm impressed. Well, I've actually
a goal. Let's go what do we want? Let's go
have a goal here.

Speaker 1 (05:54):
You know, I actually never I actually never knew that story.
I knew part of that story, but I didn't know
all of the story. So that's really just great to hear,
and it is so important and it's funny because maybe
not at the same time, but I was. I wanted
to be a ball girl at the Sydney tournament at
White City.

Speaker 2 (06:12):
My mom wouldn't let me ball.

Speaker 1 (06:14):
Why because she said, no, I want you to pay.
I don't want you to be the ball which is interesting, right.

Speaker 2 (06:19):
Yeah, because you want to be on the court with
the best player to actually get that.

Speaker 1 (06:22):
I think is that she didn't want me to not
be at school, Billy, but I skipped school. I don't
know if you remember that court at White City and
it had that that had that like a waterway through
the middle of the back courts, and my brother and
I used to sneak down there, down into that water area.
There was no water, it was only a little trickle,

(06:43):
and we'd get up onto that bridge that breathed from
the back to the fall and we'd sneak up onto
that bridge and get into the tennis tournament that way.

Speaker 2 (06:49):
I never paid.

Speaker 3 (06:50):
Now, why am I not surprised?

Speaker 2 (06:52):
Well? Yeah, White City, Oh my gosh, I remember. That's funny.

Speaker 1 (06:55):
I remember seeing you and I've got an autograph book.
I've told you this with your autograph and.

Speaker 2 (06:59):
It's so cute. But you know what, I remember the
side win. Yes, it was awful. Oh my goodness. So
when you're on one side, it's going right to left
and then when you change its it's left to right.
And you really got to pay attention when you changed ends,
because you don't want to wait until the score is
thirty love or love thirty and go oh yeah, the
wind's the opposite. You know, you've got to be yeah,
but it's a certain volier.

Speaker 1 (07:19):
It was not bad having win because you knew that
they could you on a certain side exactly.

Speaker 2 (07:24):
You knew you had to play the court and the
wind and the conditions are really important to understand.

Speaker 1 (07:28):
So okay, so we've heard like the story of your
relationship and going through I essentially through life together.

Speaker 2 (07:34):
Now, so how nice.

Speaker 1 (07:35):
Has it been for you, Billy, for both of you
to create something like your foundation, this business acumen. This
it's been you know, going through playing a tennis career,
but then now doing something even more special, a legacy
you're going to leave long before we're all gone. What

(07:57):
does that meant to you, Billy, to sort of not
only have life with a Lina personally, but also build
this incredible business foundation vision together.

Speaker 2 (08:06):
Alana is always really good in business. She just didn't know.
You know, you don't know when you're a young tennis player.
But she's really good at sales and concepts and her
dad was a salesperson. I always tell her, and I
teaser you know, it was in your dad's blood. It's
in your blood. Because she loves it, she thrives on it.
She gets a lot of yeses, she doesn't get as
many no's as most people trying to sell because she

(08:27):
understands the other person. I'm so aware of that by
the way relationship, we try to understand the other person
and what they need, not what we want, and then
you match it up. So Elana is really really exceptional
at that, and also very good at taking care of
a client once we have one, because that's just as important,
if not more important, as well. A lot of people
get a yes and then that's it. They don't see

(08:49):
them again. No, you do, just see opposite. You must
take care of your clients and the people in it
with you, and relationships are everything. With us, we talk
about that all the time and we all so I
want to create that with the people that work with
us that they feel that it's like family, almost that
we really care about them beyond just the work they
do for us. I think that's important, but we just

(09:12):
we just realized that how much women's sports needs help
and to progress. We're so young still. I was always
very frustrated in the sixties and seventies. We you know,
our generation took tennis from amateurism to professionalism. I love
the fact that I was a part of that. I
also what people don't realize, I've been in the business

(09:34):
since nineteen sixty eight. My former husband and I own
tournaments part owners. Obviously because we didn't have any money,
we had good ideas, and I think being on the
business side, because the players will ask me what should
I do, Billy, I go learn the business. It's such
true because I say, do you when you go to
a let's say, a five hundred tournament or two fifty

(09:56):
or whatever. I go, do you ever did you get paid?
And they go, oh, oh, yeah, of course they're have paid.
And I go, did you ever ask the owner promoter
of the event? Because they work all year for this
one week? This is not like, oh, we just put
it on for a week. They kill themselves through. That's
what we used to do. We'd just kill ourselves for
that one week of a tournament. I said, have you
ever asked them how they have done? Did they have

(10:18):
a good week? And not one player has said to me.
They look at me and they get this blank stare
and they go, I never thought about it. And I said, well,
it might be good. And then why don't you work
on a tournament for a week. Just work just like
staff person. Just work. I don't like that word staff associate,
and so I you know, I just said, go ahead
and work for a tournament just to answer the phone.

(10:39):
Even of course you don't do it like we used
to in the old days. I mean I used to
get calls. I would sit and take calls from people
buying tickets, and you learn so much from them to go, well,
I want a ticket. When Chris, Evan and Martine are
playing in the finals, well they might not be in
the finals because they have you explain the format of
a tournament, which they didn't really understand, and then they
make decisions. That way, we try to get them to

(11:00):
come early. And because there's so many great players, people
don't realize. I mean, if you look at different sports,
they have thousands of people who play that sport like
in the league, like baseball's got nine hundred guys and
and football's got about nine hundred. You know, nflis that's
all I say. And we have we have thousands playing
and no one appreciates them. No, But if I see it,

(11:22):
I'm bringing a pro player and they go, well, what's
her ranking? If I said five hundred, they said, oh,
they're no good. But if I bring a Major League
Baseball player or an NFL professional player, or or a
soccer football person from NWS, at least they go oh wow.
And I'm like, so they need to understand that tennis
players will go very deep on our rankings. And it's

(11:45):
a global sport, which I think is absolutely huge. As
a child, I knew it was important because I love history.
I read all the history books, and I knew then
that I was going to be a part of a
global sport because I didn't grow up with tennis. I
never heard of tennis, you know, into mind. Susan Williams
said you want to play tennis, and you said, what's that?
I go, what's tennis? And she says seriously, I said no, seriously,

(12:07):
I don't know. It's going to be the rest of
your life, Billy, that's what she should have said. Well,
you know what, they're still in touch with. I just
saw Susan the other day and I said, every time
I stear it go, it's all thank your fault. I
always say it's all your fine. You say it's all
your fault and thank you so much, and I do
say things, are you kidding? Every day She's on my
blessing list every single day of my life. Without Susan,
I wouldn't be here. So I'm really thrilled.

Speaker 3 (12:27):
Well, you know, I think just back to your question
on the business.

Speaker 1 (12:31):
You always know how to bring it back along. Yeah,
you know, Billy Weed, she's a weaver.

Speaker 2 (12:35):
She's our business person. Yeah, you're a weaver.

Speaker 3 (12:37):
I mean I was fortunate enough, at seventeen years old
to be around when the WTA was started. I was
in the room when we formed our first player Association,
which is kind of our player union, although we were
independent contractors.

Speaker 1 (12:54):
But he's over locked the doors and said, you're not.

Speaker 3 (12:58):
What was amazing was that even Billy at the time
was thinking that it was very important that the tour
was perceived as global and not just have Americans on
the board. So as a South African, I got to
be on the second board, and I just got to
learn the business. I mean, the players actually ran the

(13:19):
WTA and it was just an amazing education to actually
learn the business. So I feel I was very lucky
to be mentored by Billy jen and at the time
of former husband Larry King, because they were in business.
And what I learned was that the relationships that I

(13:40):
could make by going to a sponsor party, by playing
in a pro am, I mean we were had the
opportunity to meet the very best of the best. The
best CEO is the smartest people, and so I learned
at a very young age you know what was important
of the court as well as on the court. So

(14:02):
that was a big part of it. And then to
be honest, I did not love competing in tennis. I
hated being out there alone. I like being part of
a team. That's why I loved playing in the Billy
jean Kin Cup, which actually was the Federation Cup when
I was growing up. And just that being selected to

(14:24):
play for your country. I think U SWZ know what
that means.

Speaker 2 (14:27):
I mean, when you got the.

Speaker 3 (14:28):
Call to play for your country, that was it. It
wasn't how much prize money or their points are there
are no points.

Speaker 2 (14:36):
I didn't even know.

Speaker 3 (14:36):
We got paid exactly sign It was a great honor,
and I think as a young player, you know, you
aspire to represent your country, and that's the great thing
about tennis. You can have individual and you can have team.
And so very quickly I learned that I loved the
sport of tennis. I loved the business of tennis, but

(14:59):
I didn't actually love competing. So it was very fortunate that,
you know, when I came to the end of my career,
I played about eleven years on the tour. Billy Jean
was doing World Team Tennis. They needed somebody to help
with players. I got in at that level. Then I
got in with our partners and sponsors, and then I

(15:19):
ran the league for about almost twenty years. And when
we sold World Team Tennis about eight nine years ago,
we decided that we really wanted to continue in the business.
And there was just so much opportunity and so much
need in women's sports, and people just kept coming to

(15:41):
us and asking for information, and so just all that
history of learning and understanding the business and having to
operate a league on a small budget and always struggling,
and then our life changed when we met Kimber and
Mark Walter. And actually you're a little bit of it

(16:02):
as your fault because you introduced us to Commal Murray
and access tennis, and Billy went and helped him raise
some money. And then you know, we met the Walter family,
who obviously you know, owned the Dodgers, asked us did
we want to be involved with the La Sparks? And

(16:23):
I'll never forget.

Speaker 1 (16:24):
Hey, you guys might Oh no, you missed out on
page Brokers yesterday number two. Sorry, guys, Billy's not looking
at me very happy right now. Now she might be
gone to the wings. But anyway, carry on, carry on.
How I follow all these things?

Speaker 3 (16:37):
Yeah? No, so but you know, the interesting thing was
that Billy Jean said to Mark Walter, will whine up
the Dodgers. And he looked at her and he said,
you know what, Billy Jean, why not the Dodgers? And
I think that really propelled us to kind of be
at the big boy table. And I think what that's

(16:59):
in abled us to do is have capital. You have
to follow the money. And it's not just because you
want more and more money, but money allows you to
have choices. And that's why Billy always tells women and
young girls and everybody follow the money because that's going
to give you options in.

Speaker 2 (17:18):
Your life, and then you can give it away.

Speaker 3 (17:21):
But make it before you know, you don't always default
into nonprofit work. You know, look at you know, a
much brighter, a much broader lens.

Speaker 1 (17:33):
It's funny that you say that, Like, you guys know
me very well. I have never had an agent, and
I have established relationships with people and then they get
to know me, and then they get to know my
work or know.

Speaker 2 (17:46):
Me as a person.

Speaker 1 (17:47):
And a lot of people insinuate they think they know me,
but then they don't realize. You know, these relationships are
formed by talking to people. It's getting to know people,
it's getting into the rooms, it's getting to know Kim
and Mark and Kimber has been those guys have been
incredible for tennis, for women's sports. They're the major sponsor
now of the PWHL, which you.

Speaker 2 (18:04):
Guys, they're the owner. They are the only investor in
millions and millions, and that's why I try to understand
make the players and others. It takes millions and millions
and billions of dollars to make these. That's the way
men's sports work, if you do, if you look at
their history, which I try to learn all the time.
But for me to ask for what I wanted and needed,

(18:26):
that was unusual because girls are taught not to ask
what we want to need. So that was the first
time just for us. I can ask for a group,
huge group and all that. I'm great at that. But
when Mark asked us about the Sparks, and I love
basketball was my first sport, that's really good. But my
brother was a Major League baseball player for twelve years.

(18:49):
I grew up in professional baseball, professional football, all these things.
And of course I grew up with the Dodgers because
I was a teenager when the Dodgers moved to in California.
So here I'm a kid. We didn't have one major
league team in California, and now there was five, and
now that we're down to four. Maybe, But the point
is I my allegiance was with the Dodgers, and so

(19:11):
I had history with the Dodgers. The reason I wanted
to be with the Dodgers. And then of course secondarily,
which I didn't think about right away, was there. It's
worth a lot more money, and so you know, we
want we want the Sparks to start doing better too.
But you know, and people come to us constantly asking
for help. I mean, Kendall Coin called the Lana. I

(19:31):
think Kendall Coin ice hockey, ice hockey. She's the captain
of the American team. Unbelievable, the fastest, fastest skater. She's
five too, it's hilarious. Her husband's six seven, Michael. He's
adorable anyway, and she has a new baby, Drew and
all that, so it's so cute. But I remember her call,
and we were a Lakers game because Mark's involved the
Lakers as well, and I grew up with the Lakers.

(19:53):
I'm a Laker kid. And she calls us, we're the
Laker game, and Kendall cold, Kendall does yep, and Kendle
Coin calls us, and Lawn took the call and walked
down in the hall and she says, I need your help.
I think I think Angela Rocheiro gave her the information,
which was important. And Margiro angel Rorizeiro was just a

(20:14):
rock star and a superstar in ninety eight Olympics. Okay,
so I knew all about her and she was a friend.
I ad met her at the Women's Sports Foundation. So
Kendle calls, so we set up a meeting in New York.
I'll never forget. I can know exactly where we were standing.
Where Kendall was standing was right before you go into
the kitchen. And she looked up at us and said, help,
we have to have a pro hockey league, the proper one,

(20:37):
not the ones we've.

Speaker 1 (20:37):
Had, because there was skept they were splintered splinters.

Speaker 2 (20:41):
Not only that, but when you did play a lot
of times, you didn't get paid. A lot of times
you slept on a sofa. You can't get a shower.
I mean, we're talking about basic, basic stuff. So we
went to Mark. But it took seven years and we
had our first season January first this year. It was
highly successful. It was really on the game plan or

(21:02):
in our fourth year actually, with the second starting I
think November thirtieth this year. But the Professional Women's Hockey
League has got only six teams right now, Mark on
every single one of them. So every team everybody's taking
care of equally because of that, because you have great owners,
you know sometimes and bad owners and all that. With
the way it works now.

Speaker 1 (21:21):
I see it in the w n B A too,
great owners in the w NBA investing and they're getting
a lot out of it because of that.

Speaker 3 (21:29):
I think these single single entity ownership model for new leagues.
I think it's the way to go because you can
really build that infrastructure from consistency across all of all
of the markets, and you know, and then then you
can maybe bring in investors to buy some of the footanchists.

Speaker 2 (21:47):
But if you just realize how much money this takes
to get started, and I try to explain to the
players things, so just happen it takes millions. They look
at me, like millions and million. I go, yes, millions
and millions, billions sometimes and they go huh, and like
that's why I want them to understand the business. I
mean when you go to wimblan even understand that, or

(22:08):
if you go to a small tournament, understand it what
people go through to put design for us.

Speaker 1 (22:13):
Yeah, I think it's important for players to understand just
the business side of it.

Speaker 2 (22:17):
I think it's such a.

Speaker 1 (22:17):
Great basics, it's a great I think it's something that
we should be teaching at school actually also as financial
literacy and things like that. We are here in Malaga
for the Billy Jing King Cup. So I want to
talk to you a little bit about the relationship with
particularly with ELF Cosmetics, who's now you know, ELF has
really supported iHeartRadio, the women's there's great networks. They've really

(22:39):
put their money where their mouth is. If you don't
hear it, you don't know it, you don't it, if
you don't see it, all the things, So that that's
a start. Also, of course they're now a sponsor of
the Billaging King Cup. I know how important it is.
I talked about this, you know, with Corey from from
ELF the.

Speaker 2 (22:59):
She's market chief marketing off. She's she's a pistol.

Speaker 1 (23:02):
I love her amazing but we but Billy, I said
to her, you know, one of the things about women's tennis,
for example, is we've had great sponsors through the years.
And obviously you know that both of you know so well.
The Virginia Slims was like such a catalyst, you know,
clearly not the greatest sponsor, considering it was smoking.

Speaker 2 (23:18):
That's a whole other story.

Speaker 1 (23:19):
They yeah, but they but they are marketed, but they
were incredible partners. So how important is it for the
both of you to work with a company like ELF
and so many other companies that.

Speaker 2 (23:30):
You work with here at the Billy Jean King Cup.

Speaker 1 (23:32):
But how important is it to have a company like them,
for example, who really the demographic, the diversity, the equality.

Speaker 2 (23:39):
The board philosophically perfectly.

Speaker 1 (23:42):
Yeah, So tell me about that, Tell me about the meeting.

Speaker 2 (23:45):
How important it was for both of you disruptors with
a kind heart.

Speaker 3 (23:49):
I think there's not that often, right when you have
a partner who has the same values and is trying
to help you use that platform right to inspire others.
And I think you know, just the way that they activate,
like everything they do, they don't just slap a logo

(24:10):
on anything. They really build the fact that they have
you here the Tennis podcast. Yeah, they have Sarah Spain
from iHeart, They have a bunch of editors and influencers.
They are all in and that those partners are very
very hard to come by, and the product is amazing
and I think because of them. You know, we've added

(24:32):
this Power of Women's Sports Summit to the Billy Jenkin
Cup because we believe that tennis has been amazing in
paying equally exposure.

Speaker 2 (24:44):
Although we can.

Speaker 3 (24:45):
Talk about three sets for the woman and five for
the men, which we think the two is terrible exactly,
So the big events and in the Billy Jenkin Cup,
obviously because of Gamebridge, we're able to give equivalent price
money to the Davis Cup, So that is an important philosophy.
But the thing that we love about ALF is that

(25:07):
we have been able to launch this Power of Women's
Sports Summit alongside the Billie Jean King Cup, and to
have dialogue and to bring leaders together from all types
of businesses who care about women's sports. There is a
huge opportunity and I love that they are bold disruptors
and if you ever you know, if you looked in

(25:27):
the dictionary and you had Billy Jean King, you would
have a bold disruptor right next door. And so I
think that collaboration is perfect, and I think what they're
trying to do in bringing data and facts to this
change the Board campaign that's incredible. You can't just have
one woman, you have to have three or more to

(25:50):
have things shift. And so it's amazing to have a
partner who really activates and wants to tell your story.
And I mean, I don't think we've had one since
way back in Philip Morris Days, and like you said,
this is a product that young girls and women can

(26:11):
really they use so it's a perfect fit.

Speaker 2 (26:14):
And they're really inclusive. They just love it. But they
don't care what your background is. They don't care about anything,
just people and they love It's just very big on inclusion,
which I love. And anybody wants to wear this makeup
doesn't have to just be a girl Ei. There could
be anybody else. It's fun. But I just love Elf.
When I said Elf, what's that? And then with the eyes,

(26:37):
you know, the lips in the the face, I was like, God,
what a great name. And I know other thing.

Speaker 3 (26:45):
Too is they really are big on helping underserved community.
Their products are affordable. That is huge, and it's you know,
it's a bad excess. I mean our our brands and
values aligned.

Speaker 1 (27:03):
Yes, so well, and that's really the I mean the
real I mean, you already talked about a line at
the start, how you know, having back in the day
it was fed Cup, Federation Cup, now the Billie Jean
King Cup. It is where you start kids at the
grassroots of tennis. You know, the if is so important
for the grassroots of tennis.

Speaker 2 (27:19):
And you guys just did the junior David Cup and
Junior Billy Jean King Cup. I mean, that's what we want.
Those are the kids that are going to grow up
and be our future leaders. They're going to be great players,
some of them. You know, only one percent really make
it in a sport at the pro level, at the
real elite level. But you can stay in your sport.
That's what's important. Look at what you're doing now. I
mean you used to play, but now you're doing your

(27:41):
show and you're still in the sport plus other things.
But the point is that you have a long life's
conduit tennis. I think kids should understand that if you
love tennis and you don't think you're going to be
the best, don't worry. There'll be something that you're good
at and you can stay in the sport because we
need them. We need them to stay in tennis. And

(28:02):
tennis with all the research, especially in the States with
the Mayo Clinic, it is the healthiest sport in the world.
So I love giving the gift of tennis anybody because oh,
that's all the discussion, but right now, but tennis is
the healthiest sport. I don't you guys listen to my
podcast pickleball. Actually they actually orthopedics. I'm not gonna have

(28:24):
to No, you will not. Orthopedic surgions come to us
all the times that you cannot believe how many more
injuries are in pickleball. Yes, it's unbelievable.

Speaker 1 (28:33):
I guess they can't cite it for the people in
the back, Billy.

Speaker 2 (28:36):
So anyway, people that love your pickleball, just make sure
your train enough. But why don't you just play tennis
as well? Because just hit in the little service box.
That's what Lana and I do now, just hit we
warm up in the little She could kill me just
playing the service box. And I don't understand why people
don't do that. They we should break it up. Even
the pros practice half court.

Speaker 1 (28:57):
We don't even practice all agree, Oh, Billy, we could
gone for it. We don't have enough time, I know.

Speaker 2 (29:01):
I want to give people ideas who played to this
that you don't have to play points. Just drill and
hit the ball. It's so much fun to feel the
ball against the streets.

Speaker 1 (29:10):
Okay, So, but don't worry, Billy, because everyone who listens
to this podcast also feels the.

Speaker 2 (29:14):
Same thing about it. I hope, and if they don't
why you're listening to get the kids, but get the
other people to pick it up, and they don't have
to be children. Get older people, get it, whatever age group,
especially the children, because it becomes a habit. They'll have
it the rest.

Speaker 1 (29:26):
I know when parents get their kids in pickleball, I'm like,
what are you doing? But listen, let's get onto the rant.

Speaker 2 (29:31):
Listen. But I want to know, Billy. I don't the
sound kills me.

Speaker 1 (29:36):
I want to know because we are here for Billy
Jean king Cup. I want to know your favorite story
from Billy Jean king Cup back in the day playing
and as a coach, and same for you Alana as
a player, as.

Speaker 2 (29:48):
A point I love concepts right and to create opportunities.
So the first year was nineteen sixty three at Queen's Club.
I was on the US team. They invited sixteen countries
to get it started to see if they thought it
might work or might not work. And I was nineteen
and Darlene Hard was our best player in the US
and I was number two in Carol Caldowell, who is

(30:10):
my friend in my roommate a lot of times from
Santa Monica. She was the third player. But I remember
standing for photos and saying how excited I was this
and I poor things. I kept yelling at them all week.
We have to win the first one. So when we
look at the Cup thirty forty years from now, we'll
see the USA was the first one to ever win it.
We're going to make history, because you know how much

(30:32):
I love history anyway, and they're looking at me like,
what what do you care about? I go, no, you
don't understand. This is so important because this is going
to get bigger and better, and we have to be
the first.

Speaker 1 (30:42):
So when I go to my name is going to
be on this trophy one day, and I want to
be the first. No, the USA was going to be
end No, but you know what I mean, it is
now the Billy J.

Speaker 2 (30:49):
King part. I did not know that. I'm so excited.
But they started Federation Cup because it was the fiftieth
birthday of the IF and I don't think a lot

(31:11):
of people know that the Davis Cup started in nineteen
hundred with Dwight Davis, who was the captain of the
Harvard team started it. So they had a huge jump
on US sixty three years. Yeah, sixty three years ahead
of US, so we're always starting a little late, but
we're getting there. And we had our one hundred and
thirty seven Nations, as Elana said, and you wa this year?
Did you win it?

Speaker 4 (31:32):
We did?

Speaker 2 (31:32):
When it we were down match points to Australia, which
is Margaret Smith. I didn't know that and Leslie turn
I was saving that for the you know, the go
in there and I yelled at Darlene, I'll never forget.
She's playing the left court and I was playing the
right court because I always played whatever they didn't want.
I'm one of those, yeah you my dream potd I go,
what would you like to play the right or the left?

(31:53):
And they go, I want this? I go, okay, I
played the other side whatever. And so I played the
right court with Darling because she won the left court
and she was a better player than I was. She
should be there and the way her game was. But
I could see her, I could feel her like her
was waiting and that she we're gonna got to be
the first we're on the court. We're on the court

(32:17):
now it rains, so but that's what she's thinking. I
could feel her saying, well, we might lose this. We're
right now close to a match point, I said, Darlene,
you know I wandered, I go I looked at and
we're gonna win this, come on, and I saw her
just go okay, and all of a sudden intensity came back.
Everything we got so lucky. I don't know how we want.
I don't remember what happened or anything, but we want

(32:38):
such thing as luck. We probably were very lucky. But
I'm so happy because we are the first name on
the Cup no matter what. And I every time I
look at it, I remember those matches and what happened
the very first one. So I've been a part of
this from day one to now and it has just
been amazing to see the growth. And I Australia and

(33:01):
suck it. Is that what you're saying, No, Ozzie, I
think you want the second one, but it's not the first.
Ozzie's are probably as good a country as any. And
how the kids, the players play for the country and
they know it's a privilege. They love it. They have
numbers on whatever were you. I was number twenty five,
so you were the twenty fifth player to play. And

(33:23):
I think what the Australians have done great. I want
names and numbers on the back. So I'm everyone thinks
I'm totally out to lunch. But the point is I
do want that and I love it. When I saw
the Australians, you've never seen you. It's a lunch in
my life. So Alicia moultenmull I heard you. Alisia Mulloch. Sorry, god,
it's small Mulleck. She's such a she was so great
and she was showing me the numbers and explaining it

(33:46):
to me, because what are those numbers?

Speaker 1 (33:47):
Yeah, Derry Gavlova's fifty, So I said, real the hell,
I'm half a year sore?

Speaker 4 (33:52):
Are they?

Speaker 2 (33:52):
There are one hundred and something? No, fifty seven? Fifty eight?
Now I think, yeah, yeah, I was.

Speaker 1 (33:57):
I'm actually the longest tenured Australian come Billy Jean King
Cup player. Well, I think it was eighteen, but it
really should have been more than that because there was
a couple of times where I got left off the
team because I was insubordinate apparently, so they left them.
It's Billy because the two times they left me off
the team, I won Wimbledon double.

Speaker 2 (34:16):
So that wasn't too smart.

Speaker 1 (34:19):
It was not very smart with the player that you
know why they kicked me off because I spoke up
for the players, Billy. They didn't like it, you know
how that feels. I do know, Yeah, so wonder they
didn't kick you off a couple of times. The last
was their last, and I think they both tournament and
it's right, all right, Alana for you first and most
like just great story that you can Yeah, I have
so many, but.

Speaker 3 (34:40):
I mean a great one and then not so great one.
So in nineteen seventy three, the fed Cup was actually
in South Africa and I was the reserve on the
team because I was a young little snapper, a snapper
and it's always politics, right, I think, hello wine, and

(35:02):
but I did get to practice and be with the
team and we actually won the competition in South Africa
with beat Great Britain in the finals. And it's actually
funny because I know Great Britain are in the semi finals, yere,
and I don't think they've ever won it before.

Speaker 2 (35:17):
Have they ever won it?

Speaker 3 (35:18):
I don't think social but you can fact check that.
But I do know that they were in the finals
against South Africa and we brought them over. Joe Wade
and Whinnie Wooldridge when he shore at the time, and
I mean the whole country stopped. You know, it was
a huge deal. So I think again that representing your country,

(35:40):
there's nothing like it. And then you know, obviously because
of a part eight, South Africa actually was kicked out
of the Federation Cup at the time in nineteen seventy eight.

Speaker 2 (35:52):
So that was a little bit bigger than.

Speaker 3 (35:55):
Yeah, right exactly. In seventy seven, it was kind of scary.
We were playing in Eastbourne, yeah, and they threw flour
on the court, they threw oil on the court. We
actually ended up having like twenty four to seven security
and so we were then kicked out. So but you know,
I think even now South Africa is back in the competition,

(36:18):
they're playing in some of the smaller regional groups. And
again I think that first feeling of being chosen to
represent your country and wearing that laser. I've still got
all of mine somewhere. There's nothing I keep everything. There's
nothing like that.

Speaker 2 (36:35):
I'm a holder. I I'm a holder. I love being
captain too, or coach captain, and that's a full time job.
Because I went to tournaments, I built relationships with the players.
I'm probably luck his captain in the world though, because
one players number one or former number one on the

(36:56):
team together unbelievable. I think I had Lindsay Davenport, Monica Sellis,
Jennifer Capriotti, we had Venus, and Venus and Serena came along.
I mean we married. Joe Fernandez was amazing. She helped
me when I had to speak Spanish in Spain in
those days. She helped me get my speech because I

(37:17):
can fanatically do it, but I don't really know it.
But I told her what I want to say and
she helped and her mother helped me. It's so Sylvia,
I'll never it's so cute. And I told the audience
and they all stood up and they you know, the
mom and Mary Joe helped with this speech and it
was so great. So no, but as a captain, I'm
one of the I just know, I'm the luckiest probably

(37:39):
captain never to live because of having those good players.
And you have to treat the A players I call
them in the B or B plus or A minus.
Everyone's different, and you really have to be a psychologist.
I think if you want to be a great captain
and coach, you've got to be a great psychologist and
I've had years and years of therapy and that really

(38:00):
helped me. Yeah, I agreed.

Speaker 1 (38:02):
Listen, you know, guys, I know I've done a little
bit of coaching in my time as well. And people say,
and I said, yeah, the excess and o's a one thing,
and giving someone a game plan is another. But all
you do the whole time is basically become a sports
psychologist or a psychologist in general.

Speaker 2 (38:16):
Well you can just wait.

Speaker 1 (38:17):
Yeah, okay, you can wait, just serving here, Okay.

Speaker 3 (38:21):
Well, I think Billy has this ability to see the
world from sixty thousand feet and you know, be able
to have a vision right for the end result. And
I think that's an amazing quality. And also she's the

(38:43):
most persistent person that I've ever met in my life.
Like she never gives up and she always starts over.
She doesn't take anything personally, and that's huge because if
you don't take things personally, you can always be in
the solution and been looking to move forward. And the
other thing that I'll say about Billy Jean, she is

(39:04):
a great united People think of Billy as being a fighter,
but that is really not her style. Her style is
to bring people together and to find the commonality in
reaching a goal together and she'll only fight if she
has to, but that is not her inclination. It's always

(39:26):
I think she's the people's champion and she's an incredible united.

Speaker 1 (39:30):
It's before you say anything, Before you say anything, pressure
is a privilege.

Speaker 2 (39:36):
I can tell you that that's a fair story.

Speaker 1 (39:37):
Actually, yeah, I can tell you when I've had situations happen.
One in particular was the Margaret Court situation in Australia
with the naming of the Cord and you know, it
was the time that she came out and said some
pretty derogatory, terrible things about the about our community and
it's just the lgbt Q plus community in total.

Speaker 2 (39:56):
And I was getting a lot.

Speaker 1 (39:58):
Of calls from orders and TV people in Australia, and
you know, because there was a big story there. And
I remember texting or calling you and I said, Billy,
help me, help me word what I need to word
in this situation. And I've never forgotten the story you
told me was Renee, there are people when you have
your name on a building, and when you have your
name on a court, and you of course have the

(40:20):
you know, National tennis and in Queen's name after you,
and then there's Arthur Ash Stadium, and then there's the
Rod Labor Court Arena in Australia, and then of course there's.

Speaker 2 (40:30):
The Margaret Court Arena.

Speaker 1 (40:33):
And you said, everyone that walks through those gates or
those doors might be straight, might be gay, might be
all of the things, might be trans, might be anybody,
and you should be inviting to all of those people
no matter what. If you want to have your name
on an establishment, you have to understand people walking through
those date gates and doors are everybody. So you have

(40:55):
to be inclusive of everybody. And I thought, oh my god,
what a brilliant way to put it. Rather than slandering
someone like Margaret, you just say, if you're going to
have your name on something, that's what you need to
understand about how important it is to accept everybody because
they're paying money to come into your doors, into your game.

Speaker 2 (41:12):
Yes, and so I'll never forget that. And so the
reason I tell that.

Speaker 1 (41:15):
Story is I want people to understand that you're like
my north star when it comes to because everyone knows
I'm I can be a little brash in my comments, really, yes,
but I have learned Billy Caitlin's very proud of me.
I don't tweet as much anymore. Actually, I've gone off
of Twitter. I'm onto Blue Sky now for those of
you are, they're Blue Sky, get on it.

Speaker 2 (41:33):
It's much happier place. But a million new people every day,
oh lots lots.

Speaker 1 (41:38):
And now that I've got you, Billy, you know you, Alana,
hopefully you know more and more people.

Speaker 2 (41:42):
But but I it's so.

Speaker 1 (41:44):
Important and you are so important because you're people think
that you're a fighter, Like Alana said, so when you
were telling me that story is it's so true. Billy
doesn't kiss people off. She unites behind a common cause
of a conversation as opposed to, you know, even a
thing with the Saudi. You're like, if we're not there,
we can't change minds.

Speaker 2 (42:03):
And I'm not sure what to do that. This is
a really tough one. Yeah, although I do know that
unless you have engagement, yep, you can't change. So that's
the difficult there, difficulty. But I also don't like what's
going on there. But how do we break down doors?
How do you know? When the WTA went there, they
actually did all these programs that are going to continue

(42:26):
every day of the year. They're not going to just
be there when the players are at the tournament. Is
this going to make a difference or not? I don't know.
I know Muslim girls, we're so excited to come and watch,
especially Coco winning, and so what if we get a
champion from there, a woman champion? Yep, you know. I
don't know. These are questions I have. I think about

(42:47):
things all the time. But how do we make it
better for everyone? And you know that everyone wants more
money all the time. There's a lot of money there's
It's a very difficult thing. Is because money equals opportun unity.
So I don't know, but I think it was up
to the WTA. I'm not the boss. I'm not in
the WTA that way at all. But I think it's

(43:07):
up to the players today to help shape the future.
But I don't know. I'd love to hear, but I'd
love to hear from them what their experience was.

Speaker 3 (43:17):
Yeah, but I think what is important and I think
what you should share as we come to the close
is that.

Speaker 1 (43:23):
But you still own me what what you admire about Alana.

Speaker 2 (43:26):
So I want to do that, but I think order
to start and stop though, I think just.

Speaker 3 (43:32):
Give some clarity on. The WTA was founded on three principles.

Speaker 2 (43:37):
And it wasn't this equality and social justice and all.
Here's the three things. The original nine in nineteen seventy
came up with the three things, and we had our
first tour Virginia Slims in seventy one when you were born. Really,
thank you. Here are the three These are the three
things that any girl in this world, if she were
good enough, would finally have a place to compete.

Speaker 4 (43:59):
Really.

Speaker 2 (44:01):
Number two, that she would be appreciated for her accomplishments,
not only her looks. And that's all they talked about.
Then they still talk too much, but it's better than
it was. Number Three, and really important to all of
us is we'd be able to make a living money
playing the sport we love. Those are the three things.

(44:21):
I didn't get into equality. I didn't get into anything.
I just wanted to. You know, we had this place
for the future generations, and everything we did was about
the future generations. Every time we had a meeting, every
time we had a discussion. I don't think players are
doing that anymore.

Speaker 3 (44:38):
Well, you say they live in your dream.

Speaker 2 (44:40):
They're living the dream, but they need to bring the sport.
I mean, I remember tip none of my publicist telling me.
He says, I don't feel like the players bring the
sport with him anymore. And what he's saying is it's
our job to motivate others to play, to appreciate what
we have in our history, but also take it to
the next step. Got to take your game with you.

(45:02):
And I don't think the players think like that anymore.
We have to change that again. We've got to go
back to not back, but forward to getting them to
think about the future generation, not just about themselves. I
want them to start saying we and us and talk
about others and not just talk about themselves the eye word,
and it's really really important. And I don't think the players.

(45:24):
I don't know what. I don't know what you guys.
I think we want to keep taking and growing our sport,
allowing kids to play. There's a place for them to play,
create more opportunities, but it takes work with every generation.
I mean, Correna Scott King and I probably won't get
this right as a saying. She says that you never win,

(45:44):
that every generation has to work and whatever to win,
every to have freedom, and every generation has to do that.
So it's so important. I didn't get that right. But
it's about it's about out well, it's about give ever
wins freedom that every generation has to earn and keep

(46:04):
fighting every generation. But this generation needs to understand that.
I'm not sure they do well well, they need to
do that because it's it's our responsibility. There. We are
making more money than than we ever thought possible. Well,
I mean I thought we'd make millions. That's good. Now
they are. But the point is with that, I think
comes the responsibility. It goes very deep, and that's where

(46:26):
we need to connect history with the future because the
more you know about history, the more you know about yourself.
But the most important thing, it helps us shape the future.
And I know what, I don't know if players think
about that today. And we have to create that culture
within the WTA again and make it exciting and make
us think about others not just ourselves. I think it

(46:48):
creates it's so much more fun when you think about others. Anyway,
Talking about Alana, which I would love to talk about,
I told you she was a great salesperson before, but
what I really love about her is that she is
totally loyal. She's amazingly loyal to people and her friends,
very giving. She's an aries that's why. Oh that's true.

(47:08):
Is that what you are?

Speaker 4 (47:09):
Yep?

Speaker 2 (47:09):
Of course. Anyway, she's very giving and you should know that.
We're like a diapote now. And she's really smart. I
love smart. I love intelligent. She's really intelligent. And a
lot of people, I don't think realize that. They always
look at me, and I'm like, no, look at her,
look at Halana, No, look at me. She's the one
that really makes things work. And I just think we
really love each other. I think, you know, love is

(47:31):
really important.

Speaker 3 (47:33):
Yeah, we complement each other. I think, as Billy says,
she dreams it and then I'm trying.

Speaker 2 (47:39):
To build it.

Speaker 3 (47:40):
That's true. But I do think, you know, being here
in Malaga, and when you think about the Billy Jean
King Kap, Billy hates the word legacy. She says, others
define that. She wants to keep going right every single day.

Speaker 2 (47:52):
No, We're measured on our contribution. Yeah, and so I
think other people think about us. We should be measured
on our contribution.

Speaker 3 (48:01):
And we really look at this competition as a platform
to empower young women and girls and others. And I
think we will be judged. The success will be judged
when of these one hundred and thirty seven countries or
more have more women representation on their federation boards, have

(48:21):
more women coaches, have more women in media, have more
women in officiating. Because I think we can use it
as a platform to build. And the great thing about Billy,
it's never about what we're doing now, what can we
help build for the future. So we really feel, you know,
it's a privilege to be in this position and we

(48:43):
take it very seriously.

Speaker 1 (48:45):
Well, I remember Billy telling to me, I think it
was thirty nine years of age at the time. I
was playing World Team Tennis, and she said, keep playing
as long as you can a kid, And I said, Billy,
I'm thirty nine, pretty sure I'm doing that. But she
always encouraged me to keep going.

Speaker 2 (48:57):
Because people when you cannot play as a Oh no,
I wish I could still, it's a killer.

Speaker 1 (49:02):
Especially with the money right now.

Speaker 2 (49:03):
Oh my gosh, don't.

Speaker 5 (49:05):
That that's another decision, you know, I think Renee, I
think it's fantastic that you have stayed in the tennis.

Speaker 3 (49:15):
Business, that you love the sport, that you continue to
promote it, and you're always trying to learn new things
and help grow the sports. I think what you're doing
with the tennis podcast, what you're doing with iHeart uh
and just having you here, I think is fantastic because
I think every generation has something to add to the history,

(49:39):
but more important, the future. And I have never seen
anyone other than belie Jin with as much passion and
purpose for everything they do. And I have never seen
anyone attend more women's sports. If I want to know
anything about women's sports, give me to just go to

(49:59):
your feed. And so honestly, you are truly committed, and
I think we're lucky to have you promoting and loving
women's sports, and tennis is just one of the very
few things you do a whole lot more so, thank you, oh.

Speaker 1 (50:15):
Thank you, guys. It's been an absolute pleasure. I tell you,
I'm not kidding. Get your butts to Malaga. It's going
to be here next year.

Speaker 2 (50:23):
No, well, either way, get.

Speaker 1 (50:26):
Hit to Maliga, the third largest I think in Spain.

Speaker 2 (50:29):
In Spain, it is truly beautiful, beautiful.

Speaker 1 (50:32):
Absolutely beautiful. I went down to Marlbay a couple of
days ago. Well, there's some beautiful tennis results down there.
Cruise The bottom line is wherever the Billy Jean King
camp is, please make an effort to attend.

Speaker 2 (50:42):
Come.

Speaker 1 (50:43):
It's great atmosphere, what you guys have done, what you're
building with all your sponsors, particularly with ELF. It's been
great because there've been such a conduit for women's sports
in so many ways, particularly at Iurheart and here at
the village in king Cup changing the boardrooms and they
are changing the boardrooms. I mean so many people, so
many and he could learn so much from them. And
by the way, they're doing very well for themselves, so

(51:03):
that's probably a reason to put some more women.

Speaker 2 (51:05):
I know you do well.

Speaker 3 (51:07):
They are amazing. But I don't want to forget game Bridge,
who are ensuring that we can pay people equally for
the men, and Microsoft who are helping with technology. Franklin, Templeton, Magellan.

Speaker 2 (51:21):
We have all. They're all the relationship that you guys
have reships, so.

Speaker 3 (51:27):
Nothing happens without partners, and so we're very grateful for those.
And again, you need the best athletes, you need great facilities,
and we're excited about turning the ship and building the
future of the Beiligian kinkup.

Speaker 1 (51:44):
Well, I can promise you guys, I will be wherever
you're at.

Speaker 2 (51:47):
It's a pleasure to be with you. Guys.

Speaker 1 (51:49):
You're two awesome, amazing people. I do consider you my friends.
I'm really lucky to have friends. And it's been great
and I can't wait for the matches today to start
the semi final STUF here a Billy Jinking Cup today.

Speaker 2 (52:02):
Wherever we decide to put.

Speaker 1 (52:03):
This podcast, whether it be today or you know, in
a week or in two days, it's just been awesome
to be here. I'm so happy just to be your guys' friends.
So thanks, thanks for thanks for being my noth star.

Speaker 3 (52:16):
Thank you for always showing up.

Speaker 2 (52:18):
I tried. Listen, I've got showing up. Its huge and
wedding by the way, listen, I do show up.

Speaker 1 (52:22):
You don't see it, but I do have passion tattooed
on my arm.

Speaker 4 (52:26):
So that's.

Speaker 2 (52:28):
Passion. Not on my as, not on my ass.

Speaker 1 (52:31):
I definitely don't have it, although maybe I.

Speaker 2 (52:33):
Should think about it.

Speaker 1 (52:35):
It's on my right arm, Billy, because I'm right handed,
and that's what I believe in passion. If you're not
passionate about things in your life, you'll never be successful,
as you have shown.

Speaker 2 (52:43):
Both of you through the years.

Speaker 1 (52:44):
Fun Yeah, of course, you know, Billy, we could Lanna
tell everyone that story that you told me. It was
pretty funny. You said about there are two people in
the world. Two people in the world, some talk ten
thousand words a day, and then there's you and Billy.

Speaker 3 (53:01):
Well, Billie's pretty full.

Speaker 2 (53:04):
She's pretty, very very full. I'll stop talking, all right,
all right.

Speaker 1 (53:13):
And by the way, before before I do want to
get this on the record. Congratulations Billy on being the
first ever athlete, female athlete or athlete to get the
Congressional Female Female Athlete.

Speaker 2 (53:24):
Yes, same with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. We want
an athlete. I mean, I'm like, really, I'm the first.
I should not have been the first, and we have
so many Well I hate.

Speaker 1 (53:33):
To say this, but if anyone's going to be the
first to get the Congressional Medal of Honor, Billy Jean,
we have more.

Speaker 2 (53:38):
Now, congratulations the last. You never want to be the first. Lad.
You always want to open the door, Billy.

Speaker 1 (53:45):
You you want to be the first. You want to
be the first, and the bloody trophy and now you
want the first metal Well done.

Speaker 2 (53:50):
On that note, she's smiling. Guld have got it.

Speaker 4 (53:55):
Here we go.

Speaker 2 (53:56):
I have all these I'm going to try to get
it posthumously for them. Are you kidding? See here we go?
You heard it here first.

Speaker 3 (54:01):
So maybe this is the first series in this podcast.

Speaker 2 (54:04):
Yeah, okay, there you go. Well, I don't even tell
the story of pressures or privilege was fed cup? You
know with Lindsay Downport. Do you want to tell us
a story? If you want, you're gonna have to edit.
I mean, it's up too long. No, I was in
I can tell exactly. I mean I can. For bloody,
it's appropriate because we're playing Spain. We were playing now,
I mean who we're Our host country is Spain and
it was a raunche in kamcheetah. Anyway, and Lindsay Downport,

(54:27):
who was number one of the world four times. You know,
she's six ' three and of course, like I'm getting
its bad neck because they're all much taller than I am.
I'm looking up all the time. And she comes over
to me and she's panicking. She's got to play a
Ron Sanchez Vicario, who she ha what's her problem? No, no,
it doesn't matter. And she was uptight because she wants
to win so badly. This is what happens when you

(54:49):
play for your country. It just adds to the tension.
She says, oh, help me, I don't know what to do.
And I said, okay, you're going to beat her today,
And I said, just remember, champions adjust and press is
a privilege. She's looking down at me because she's so tall.
Oh that's great, that's going to really help. Thanks, And
she won. But that's where that that's where pressures of

(55:10):
privileged and champions have just come from.

Speaker 1 (55:16):
It's such a great gam now because a lot of
players touch that. I see them touch a lot of
players I would touch it on their way. You can't
touch the kipling one unless.

Speaker 4 (55:26):
You like.

Speaker 2 (55:29):
Personally, if you're a professional athlete, that kipling one is
not worth anything. I hate it every time I used
to look at it. Seriously, you're going to treat winning
and losing the same. If you show me a player
that does that, they're not a winner, so they're a loser.
So every time I see the kimpling.

Speaker 1 (55:45):
I go bullshit, Right, you know, Mike draw on that note,
Pressures of privilege.

Speaker 2 (55:51):
It's been a pleasure. I love you both so much.

Speaker 1 (55:54):
Thanks a lot, by guys, blessing.

Speaker 2 (56:02):
You've got You've got enough for a few podcasts classic.
You mentioned that your blessing list, Yes, every morning?

Speaker 1 (56:10):
About that?

Speaker 2 (56:12):
Well, just people I love. I make sure I put
on summer on. Sometimes summer on like Susan Williams on
every time, because she changed every time. I see, it's
your fault. I've had this such great life. You know,
I just saw her at the Women's Sports Foundation. She
was there, she said, she said, I know you were
at the w n B. I okay, cool, sorry, nice problem.
Was it the Liberty game that night? No, it was

(56:32):
the playoffs. Believe me, I went to one. I love
the Liberty. The reason I asked you that question is
can say I'm lucky. My parents are always on it,
my brother, and then there's different people in my life.
Alana is of course on it all the time.

Speaker 5 (56:46):
Well, I just I have this generosity that's huge from gratitude.

Speaker 4 (56:53):
You're right, conduct induct conduct in conduct