The Architect of Doubles: How Billie Jean King Elevated Formats and Forged Equality

Billie Jean King is rightly celebrated as one of the most transformative figures in tennis history. While her singles prowess and the iconic “Battle of the Sexes” often dominate headlines, her equal mastery of doubles and mixed doubles fundamentally changed how these formats are perceived, played, and valued. King not only amassed a staggering collection of titles—20 Grand Slam women’s doubles championships and 10 mixed doubles majors—but also used her platform to advocate for parity, ensuring that doubles earned its rightful place in professional tennis. Her tactical genius, carefully chosen partnerships, and off-court leadership created a blueprint for generations of players and established doubles as a viable career path rather than an afterthought.

This article explores how King transformed doubles tennis, from her early days as a teenage prodigy to her role as a co-founder of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and a lifelong advocate for equal prize money. By examining her technique, her iconic partnerships, and her systemic reforms, we see how she elevated doubles from a side event to a respected discipline.

Early Career: Finding a Future in Doubles

King’s journey in doubles began in the early 1960s, a period when women’s tennis was amateur, underfunded, and often crammed into a single day of tournament programming. Doubles was an afterthought, with minimal prize money and little fan engagement. Spectators often left the grounds after singles finals, leaving doubles matches played in near-empty stands. King, then a 15-year-old prodigy from Long Beach, California, quickly recognized that doubles play sharpened her net game, anticipation, and court coverage—skills that later fueled her singles dominance.

Her first major breakthrough came at Wimbledon 1961, when she partnered with Karen Hantze Susman to win the women’s doubles title at just 17 years old. At the time, King was the youngest competitor in the draw, and the unseeded pair stunned the tennis world by defeating top seeds Margaret Court and Lesley Turner in straight sets. That victory was not a fluke; it signaled the arrival of a player who could read partners’ movements, control the net with aggressive volleys, and exploit gaps with surgical precision. King’s training regimen prioritized doubles-specific drills—volley exchanges, poaching exercises, and court positioning—and she often credited her success to the lessons learned from sharing the court rather than relying solely on baseline power.

Tactical Evolution Under Pressure

Throughout the 1960s, King developed a style that revolutionized doubles. She favored serve-and-volley tactics, switching sides fluidly, and communicating constantly with her partners. Her athleticism allowed her to cover the alley and the middle of the court equally well. At a time when most women’s doubles teams played a baseline-to-net hybrid, King pushed an aggressive, all-court strategy that forced opponents into defensive positions. She would often call out opponent tendencies mid-rally, directing her partner to shift coverage. This approach not only won titles but also made women’s doubles more exciting to watch, as rallies became shorter and more dynamic.

The Glory Years: Dominance in Women’s Doubles

King’s record in women’s doubles is staggering: 20 Grand Slam titles, including 10 at Wimbledon, 5 at the US Open, 3 at the Australian Open, and 2 at the French Open. She also won the season-ending championship multiple times, including the WTA Finals doubles title from 1973 to 1975. But the numbers alone do not capture her impact. King’s partnerships defined eras and set standards for teamwork, communication, and mutual respect.

Partnership with Rosie Casals

The most iconic pairing was with American compatriot Rosie Casals. Together they won 5 Wimbledon and 4 US Open titles between 1967 and 1973. Their chemistry was legendary: King’s power and precision complemented Casals’s quick reflexes and deft touch at the net. They played an aggressive Australian-style game, often switching positions to confuse opponents and taking the ball early to disrupt rhythm. This partnership helped popularize women’s doubles as a distinct discipline, drawing larger crowds to the side courts and even earning billing on Centre Court at Wimbledon. The pair’s rivalry with the Australian team of Margaret Court and Lesley Turner became a highlight of the late 1960s, with matches often decided by razor-thin margins.

Partnership with Margaret Court

King also teamed with her greatest rival, Margaret Court, to win multiple Grand Slam doubles titles. They understood each other’s strengths, trusting each other to cover openings. Their 1969 Wimbledon and 1970 US Open victories showcased how two top singles players could merge styles without ego clashes. King often noted that playing with Court required supreme communication because both were accustomed to calling the shots. Their success proved that doubles excellence demanded mutual respect and tactical humility, even among fierce competitors. Off the court, their partnership demonstrated that women could collaborate effectively despite intense singles rivalry—a lesson that resonated beyond tennis.

Later Partnerships and the Rise of the WTA

Later in her career, King partnered with Betty Stöve, Martina Navratilova, and others. With Stöve, she won the 1972 US Open and 1973 Wimbledon titles, integrating new tactics such as the “I-formation” to disrupt opponents’ return patterns. These partnerships helped transition women’s doubles into the professional era. When King co-founded the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) in 1973, she insisted that doubles rankings and prize money be part of the structure. Her advocacy ensured that doubles specialists could earn a living, not merely supplement their singles income. Players like Pam Shriver and Gigi Fernández later credited King with creating the ecosystem that allowed them to focus exclusively on doubles.

Mixed Doubles: The Ultimate Test of Versatility

Mixed doubles allowed King to demonstrate her tactical breadth. She won 10 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles, often partnering with male players who respected her enough to follow her lead. Her mixed doubles success defied the era’s gender norms and proved that a woman could dominate at the net against male servers. In a format where women were traditionally expected to stay back and let men control the net, King charged forward, taking charge of the poaching and dictating points.

Early Mixed Doubles Breakthroughs

King’s first major mixed doubles title came at the 1967 Australian Championships with Owen Davidson. They won three consecutive Wimbledon mixed titles from 1967 to 1969 (with two different partners—Davidson and later Dennis Ralston), establishing King as the world’s best mixed doubles player. Her ability to read serve directions and poach at the net made her an invaluable partner. She often said that mixed doubles required even sharper instincts because points were faster and the court positioning more fluid. At the 1967 Wimbledon mixed final, King’s aggressive volleying disrupted the rhythm of the top-seeded pair, earning her a standing ovation from the Centre Court crowd.

Later Mixed Doubles Triumphs

In the 1970s and early 1980s, King continued to collect mixed titles with partners such as Tony Roche (1971 Wimbledon), Bob Hewitt (1976 US Open), and later John McEnroe (1983 US Open). Her 1971 partnership with Roche showcased a lefty-righty combination that confounded opponents. Roche’s heavy topspin set up King’s volleys, and she routinely pulled opponents wide with sharp angles. The 1983 US Open triumph with McEnroe was particularly significant: McEnroe, known for his fiery temperament, deferred to King’s strategic calls at the net, a testament to her authority and control in the partnership. These triumphs demonstrated that King could adapt her game to any male partner, from power servers to crafty net rushers.

Breaking Barriers in Mixed Doubles

King’s mixed doubles success had a broader cultural significance. At a time when women were often expected to play a supporting role in mixed sports, King took charge. She directed court positioning, called poaches, and never deferred to her male partner’s ego. This behavior challenged entrenched stereotypes and showed that women could lead in co-ed competition. Her mixed doubles matches drew attention to the format’s unique blend of strategy and gender collaboration, paving the way for later mixed events like Hopman Cup and the mixed doubles Olympic gold medal (introduced in 2012). King herself later said, “Mixed doubles was where I felt most free—I could show that a woman’s instincts at the net were just as sharp as any man’s.”

Professional Advocacy: Championing Doubles as a Career

Beyond trophies, King’s greatest contribution to doubles was systemic. When she co-founded the WTA, she fought to include doubles in the new professional circuit. Before the WTA, women’s doubles tournaments were often scheduled after singles events, with inferior prize money and no dedicated ranking. King pushed for a doubles ranking system, regular tournament slots, and equal pay for doubles specialists. This was a radical departure from the traditional view that doubles was merely a training tool for singles players.

The Formation of the WTA and Doubles Integration

At the 1970s WTA founding meetings, King argued that doubles teams deserved representation and financial compensation. She insisted that the WTA schedule include separate doubles finals on centre court, not as a prelude to the men’s match. Her lobbying resulted in the WTA’s commitment to doubles tournaments and the eventual creation of the WTA Doubles Rankings in 1980. This move legitimized doubles as a career path for players who specialized in the format. The first official WTA Doubles Rankings were released in 1984, and top doubles players like Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver benefited immediately from increased visibility and prize money.

Equal Prize Money and Doubles as an Investment

King also used her personal influence to persuade tournament directors to increase doubles prize money. At the US Open, she successfully pressed for equal doubles prizes for men and women by the early 1970s. She argued that doubles required just as much skill and drew comparable crowds. Her efforts led to the current system where Grand Slam doubles champions receive significant checks, though discrepancies remain at some smaller events. King’s example inspired later advocates like Martina Navratilova and Venus Williams to continue the fight for pay equity across all disciplines. In 2023, the US Open became the first Grand Slam to offer equal prize money across singles, doubles, and mixed doubles—a direct outcome of King’s early activism.

Legacy: The Doubles Revolution and Modern Tennis

Billie Jean King’s influence on doubles resonates today. Her aggressive, communicative style became the template for top teams. Modern doubles greats such as the Williams sisters, Martina Hingis, and Sania Mirza have cited King’s tactics and advocacy as foundational. Hingis, who won 13 women’s doubles and 7 mixed doubles Grand Slams, said in a 2017 interview, “Billie Jean showed that you could be a doubles specialist and still be remembered as one of the greats. She opened doors for players like me.” The current WTA doubles format—with no-ad scoring, match tiebreaks, and ranking points for all events—bears the imprint of King’s push for accessibility and excitement.

The Growth of Doubles as a Spectator Sport

King helped transform doubles from a warm-up act into a standalone event. Today, Grand Slam doubles finals are broadcast on prime television, and tournaments like Wimbledon schedule doubles matches on Centre Court. Mixed doubles remains a staple of Olympic tennis, drawing global viewership. The introduction of the format to the Olympic program in 2012 was championed by many, but King’s long advocacy for mixed competition—including her role in creating the Hopman Cup in 1989—provided the foundation. King’s early insistence on integrated scheduling and prize money made these developments possible. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, mixed doubles attracted record crowds, with many fans citing the fast-paced, collaborative nature of the game.

Inspiring a New Generation

King’s legacy extends beyond statistics. Her willingness to mentor younger players—including Navratilova and Chris Evert—fostered a culture of doubles excellence. Many of today’s top players grew up watching King’s vintage matches and adopted her net-rushing, serve-and-volley techniques. Her advocacy also encouraged boys and girls to play mixed doubles in junior programs, promoting gender equality from an early age. The United States Tennis Association (USTA) now includes a mandatory mixed doubles component in its Junior Team Tennis program, a direct result of King’s work with the organization. In 2021, the USTA named the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center’s doubles courts after her, cementing her role as the godmother of the discipline.

Conclusion

Billie Jean King did more than win doubles titles; she reinvented the formats themselves. Through her tactical brilliance, iconic partnerships, and fierce advocacy, she elevated women’s doubles and mixed doubles to the professional respect they deserve. Her 30 Grand Slam doubles titles remain a benchmark, but her true legacy lies in the structural changes that allow doubles players to earn a living, receive recognition, and inspire fans worldwide. King proved that greatness on a doubles court is not a consolation prize—it is a statement. Her work continues to shape how the world plays and watches tennis, ensuring that doubles remains a vibrant, essential part of the sport.

For further reading on King’s impact, see WTA’s retrospective on King’s doubles career, the International Tennis Hall of Fame profile, and Britannica’s comprehensive biography.