No one could begrudge Billie Jean King a rest. She played 127 matches in 1971 and 103 more in 1972, winning 27 singles titles in that two-year span. She entered the doubles every week, and she was the face of the budding Virginia Slims tour, besides.
King wasn’t the sort to take a personal day, or even sit out an event on a doctor’s recommendation. But in March 1973, after a three-set final against Margaret Court in Chicago, a stomach injury knocked her out of competition. She could barely serve for a month and the Slims circuit was forced to proceed without her. Court was both beneficiary and victim. The Australian continued to dominate in Billie Jean’s absence. But as the biggest star in the draw, she was also called upon to take over King’s media duties, a full-time job for a lesser woman.
Tournament promoters coast to coast breathed a sigh of relief on April 11th, when Billie Jean returned to action at the Boston Marina Harbor, brushing aside American veteran Farel Footman. King felt like she was “starting on the circuit all over again,” but after dropping the first two games to Footman, she lost only two more for a 6-3, 6-1 victory. Her serve was surprisingly steady for a stroke she had resumed practicing only a few days earlier.
For the famously energetic serve-and-volleyer, one month on the sidelines was enough. “The first week, while difficult to coordinate,” she told Boston Globe columnist Peter Gammons, “is also easier because one is so enthusiastic.” (Gammons is better known as a baseball writer. True to form, he made sure to ask Billie Jean about her younger brother, San Francisco Giants pitcher Randy Moffitt.)
Still, the 29-year-old King recognized that another 100-match season could do more harm than good. “In a way, being off the tour for awhile may have been beneficial,” she said after her first-round victory. “I’m usually pooped by October, and the rest could help.”
Billie Jean would struggle to stay healthy throughout the season, playing barely 70 singles matches. But when she was able to take the court, she remained one of the most fearsome women on the circuit. And when the world tuned in to watch her in late September, she would prove to have plenty left in the tank.
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This post is part of my series about the 1973 season, Battles, Boycotts, and Breakouts. Keep up with the project by checking the TennisAbstract.com front page, which shows an up-to-date Table of Contents after I post each installment.
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