1973 (Age 29-30)

Billie Jean King won her fifth Wimbledon singles title in the last 8 years, defeating Chris Evert easily in the final. Margaret Smith Court, however, had the better year. She won 3 of the 4 Grand Slam singles titles, with her only loss being to Evert in the Wimbledon semifinals. King did not play the Australian Open or defend her 1972 French Open singles title. Smith Court won 3 of her 4 singles matches with King, although none of those matches was at a Grand Slam tournament. The Australian's only loss was in the semifinals of the Virginia Slims of Indianapolis in February. Before then, Smith Court had won 59 consecutive singles matches and 12 consecutive singles tournaments.

In September at the Houston Astrodome, King easily defeated Bobby Riggs in the so-called Battle of the Sexes. Smith Court had lost badly to him on Mother's Day. 

King was the overwhelming winner of The Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year, gaining 486 votes to second place Olga Korbut's 146. King said, "Thanks but Margaret Court had a better year than me. I should have won it in 1971 [instead of Evonne Goolagong Cawley]. I'm afraid it is too much of a popularity vote."

Listed below are 21 singles tournaments (8 of which she won), with a win-loss record of 60–11, 84.51% (20–4 indoors, 16–2 on hard courts, 12–1 on grass, 9–4 on clay, and 3–0 on an unknown surface). This record does not include walkovers, the match with Bobby Riggs, or third place matches. She also won 10 women's doubles titles, including Wimbledon.

Her head-to-head record in singles was as follows.

SINGLES HEAD TO HEAD

4-0  Betty Stove
4-0  Françoise Durr
4-0  Marcie Louie

3-0  Kristien Kemmer Shaw Ziska
3-0  Valerie Ziegenfuss

3-1  Karen Krantzcke
3-1  Kerry Melville Reid
2-0  Kerry Harris
2-0  Lesley Hunt

2-0  Margaret "Peggy" Michel

2-0  Nancy Richey

2-1  Julie Heldman
1-0  Betty Ann Grubb Hansen Stuart Dent Grout
1-0  Cecilia Martinez
1-0  Corinne Molesworth
1-0  Cynthia Doerner
1-0  Evonne Goolagong Cawley (career 5-1)
1-0  Farel Footman
1-0  Helen Gourlay Cawley
1-0  Joy Schwikert
1-0  Kathy Kuykendall
1-0  Lany Kaligis
1-0  Laura DuPont
1-0  Laura Rossouw
1-0  Lucia Bassi
1-0  Mary Christenson
1-0  Pam Teeguarden
1-0  Pat Bostrom
1-0  Robin Tenney
1-0  Tam O'Shaughnessy
1-0  Tory Fretz
1-0  Virginia Wade (career 22-4)

3-3  Rosemary Casals

1-1  Chris Evert
1-1  Wendy Overton

1-3  Margaret Smith Court

Week of January 15, 1973

British Motor Cars Invitational

Virginia Slims Tour

Civic Auditorium

San Francisco, California, U. S.

Indoors (Sportface)

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R  King defaulted because of a wrist injury. Marcie Louie advanced by walkover.

King in women's doubles with Rosemary Casals, 

[1] seed:

1R  d. Barbara Downs / Kristien Kemmer Shaw Ziska 6-3, 7-6(5-4)

SF  King / Casals defaulted because of King's wrist injury. Wendy Overton / Valerie Ziegenfuss advanced by walkover.

Week of February 5, 1973

Barnett Bank Classic

Virginia Slims Tour

Jockey Club

Miami, Florida, U. S.

Clay

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R  d. Betty Ann Grubb Hansen Stuart Dent Grout 

6-4, 7-6
2R  lost to Karen Krantzcke 6-7(2-5), 6-3, 7-5

Singles Note:

While serving at 5-3 in the third set, King had four match points to win her second round contest with Krantzcke. But the Australian saved each, won that game, and then swept the last three games of the match.

King in women's doubles with Rosemary Casals:

1R  d. Pam Teeguarden / Mona Schallau 6-4, 7-5
SF  d. Kerry Melville Reid / Kerry Harris 6-3, 6-2
FN  lost to Françoise Durr / Betty Stove 4-6, 6-2, 6-3

Week of February 19, 1973

Virginia Slims of Indianapolis

Indiana Convention-Exposition Center

Indianapolis, Indiana, U. S.

Indoor carpet

King in singles, [4] seed:

1R  d. Marcie Louie 6-2, 7-5
QF  d. Corinne Molesworth 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
SF  d. [1]  Margaret Smith Court 6-7(0-5), 7-6(5-2), 6-3
FN  d. [3]  Rosemary Casals 5-7, 6-2, 6-4

Singles Notes:

(1) Casals led King 2-0 in the third set of the final before King rallied. Casals saved two match points while serving at 4-5 in that set. On the third match point, her attempted drop shot did not clear the net. King earned US$6,000 for winning the tournament. To this point in her career, she had never lost a singles match in Indianapolis. She won the 1971 U. S. National Clay Court Championships and the 1972 Virginia Slims tournament.

(2) In the semifinals, King snapped Smith Court's 

59-match and 12-tournament winning streaks. Smith Court led 5-2 in the first set when King hit a hard smash that caused Smith Court to lose her balance and fall down. King then won 3 consecutive games to tie the set at 5-5. With the score 6-6, a tiebreaker was played to decide the first set. Smith Court shut out King (5-0). King saved 3 match points with Smith Court serving at 6-5 (40-0) in the second set. King won that game to force another tiebreaker. King double faulted on the first point before playing a "fantastic net game" thereafter to win the tiebreaker (5-2) and the second set. King jumped out to leads of 4-0 and 5-1 in the third set, having broken Smith Court's serve 3 times (in the second, fourth, and sixth games) and being broken only once (in the fifth game). Smith Court's return of serve had become less effective while King's improved return created many break chances. King served for the match at 5-1, but lost her serve. Smith Court then held serve, but King still had one more opportunity to serve for the match at 5-3. The Australian saved one match point, but on the second match point, her return of serve was ruled out.

(3) In the quarterfinals, King trailed Molesworth 3-1 in the third set before King swept the last 5 games of the match.

King in women's doubles with Rosemary Casals, [2] seed:

1R  d. Karen Krantzcke / Kristien Kemmer Shaw Ziska 6-3, 6-2
SF  d. Kerry Melville Reid / Kerry Harris 6-1, 6-0
FN  d. Margaret Smith Court / Lesley Hunt 7-6, 6-4

Week of February 26, 1973

Virginia Slims of Detroit

Detroit, Michigan, U. S.

Indoors

King in singles, [4] seed:

1R  d. Pam Teeguarden 6-2, 6-3
QF  d. Laura DuPont 6-1, 7-6(5-4)
SF  lost to [2]  Kerry Melville Reid 4-6, 6-2, 6-1
Third place match: King won over Rosemary Casals 8-4.

Singles Note:

King double faulted three times in the third set of her semifinal with Melville Reid. Two of those doubles were at break point.

King in women's doubles with Rosemary Casals, [1] seed:

1R  d. Julie Heldman / Cecilia Martinez 6-2, 6-3
SF  d. Kerry Melville Reid / Kerry Harris 6-2, 7-6
FN  d. Betty Stöve / Karen Krantzcke 6-3, 3-6, 6-1

Week of March 5, 1973

Virginia Slims of Chicago

Lakeshort Racquet Club

Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

Indoor carpet

General Note:

King said that she had resumed using wood racquets because she loses touch with steel. Her shots, especially her backhand, tended to die or sail with steel.

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R  d. Karen Krantzcke 6-2, 6-1
QF  d. Kristien Kemmer Shaw Ziska 6-2, 6-2
SF  d. Kerry Melville Reid 6-1, 6-2
FN  lost to [2]  Margaret Smith Court 6-2, 4-6, 6-4

Singles Notes:

(1) Before a capacity crowd of 3,500, Smith Court won the first set of the final 6-2 by breaking King's service three times and using her strong serves and volleys to keep King running. At 3-3 in the second set, King held her own serve at love to pull ahead 4-3 and then broke Smith Court's serve for a 5-3 lead with a backhand service return that clipped the line. Smith Court, however, broke back immediately, putting the set back on serve at 4-5. King again broke serve and won the set 6-4 with another backhand service return that clipped the line. The players exchanged service breaks to reach 2-2 in the third set. Each held serve for a 3-3 tie. In a spectacular game, Smith Court broke King to lead 4-3 and held her own serve to extend the lead to 5-3. King then fought through 3 deuces to hold serve and stay alive in the match. Smith Court had three match points at 5-4 (40-0). King saved the first one with a forehand passing shot. The Australian won the match during the next point when King's forehand drive sailed long. After the match, King said, "Margaret's serve was strong and accurate, especially her first serve, while I was having a lot of trouble with mine. Even my bread and butter shot, my cross-court backhand, failed me." King also said that the Australian's serve was "the strongest I've seen in some time, and she covered the court so easily." Smith Court received US$6,500 for winning the tournament, with King receiving US$3,500.

(2) King said that her first round opponent, Krantzcke, "didn't play very well." She lost her serve twice in the first set and three times in the second. Her double fault on match point ended the contest.

King in women's doubles with Rosemary Casals, [1] seed:

1R  d. Wendy Overton / Valerie Ziegenfuss 6-2, 6-4
SF  d. Margaret Smith Court / Lesley Hunt 

7-5, 2-6, 6-1
FN  d. Betty Stöve / Karen Krantzcke 6-4, 6-2

Week of April 9, 1973
Virginia Slims of Massachusetts
Boston Harbor Marina
Quincy, Massachusetts, U. S.
Indoors

King in singles, [3] seed:

1R  d. Farel Footman 6-3, 6-1
2R  d. Marcie Louie 6-1, 6-1
QF  d. [5]  Valerie Ziegenfuss 6-2, 6-3
SF  d. [7]  Julie Heldman 6-0, 6-0
FN  lost to [1]  Margaret Smith Court 6-2, 6-4

Singles Notes:

(1) Smith Court said after winning the final in 59 minutes, "It might have looked easy but it wasn't. I've been serving much better the last two or three weeks, and a good serve can give you that extra point or two." According to the Boston Globe, this was Smith Court's 81st win in her last 83 singles matches dating to late October 1972. King said after the final, "I'm in great shape but I'm not match tough. I'd make one tough shot then miss three easy ones." She had missed the previous 4 weeks of the tour because of torn abdominal muscles. King received US$3,000 (US$22,270 in May 2025 dollars) for finishing second with Smith Court receiving US$6.000 (US$44,545 in May 2025 dollars)

(2) Rosemary Casals won US$1,850 (US$13,735 in May 2025 dollars) for finishing in third place. She defeated Julie Heldman 8-4 in the third place match.

King in women's doubles with Rosemary Casals:

QF  Advanced by defeating or receiving a walkover from __________ / __________.

SF  d. Wendy Overton / Karen Krantzcke 6-7, 6-2, 6-4
FN  d. Betty Stöve / Françoise Durr 6-4, 6-2

Women's Doubles Note:

King and Rosemary Casals split US$1,000 (US$7,425 in May 2025 dollars) for winning this title.

Week of April 16, 1973
Virginia Slims of Florida
Deerwood Country Club
Jacksonville, Florida, U. S.
Clay

King in singles, [2] seed:

1R  d. Cecilia Martinez 6-2, 6-7, 6-4
2R  d. Joy Schwikert 6-1, 6-2
QF  lost to Wendy Overton 1-6, 7-6(5-3), 7-6(5-4)

Singles Note:

King was up a service break at 4-3 in the third set of her quarterfinal with Overton.

King in women's doubles with Rosemary Casals:

1R  advanced vs. ___________ / _____________
SF  advanced vs.  ___________ / _____________
FN  d. Françoise Durr / Betty Stöve 

7-6, 5-7, 6-4 (or 6-3)

Week of April 30, 1973
NBC Family Circle Cup
Virginia Slims Tour
Hilton Head, South Carolina, U. S.
Clay

General Note:

This tournament was played the same week as the Federation Cup in Bad Homburg, Germany. Most of the top players chose to play here. The main exceptions were Virginia Wade, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, and Helga Niessen Masthoff.

King in singles, [2] seed:

1R  d. Marcie Louie 6-1, 6-4
QF  d. Wendy Overton 6-4, 6-1
SF  lost to [4]  Rosemary Casals 7-6, 6-3

King in women's doubles with Rosemary Casals:

1R  advanced vs. ___________ / _____________
SF  advanced vs. ___________ / _____________
FN  lost to Françoise Durr / Betty Stöve 3-6, 6-4, 6-2

Week of May 7, 1973
Toray Sillok
Osaka, Shizuoka, Kobe, and the Tokyo Municipal Gymnasium, Tokyo

Osaka & Tokyo, Japan
Indoor (artificial grass)

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R Tokyo:  d. Kristien Kemmer Shaw Ziska 6-2, 6-1
QF Shizuoka:  d. Valerie Ziegenfuss 6-2, 6-3
SF  d. Rosemary Casals 6-3, 7-6
FN Tokyo:  d. [4]  Nancy Richey 7-6(5-4), 5-7, 6-3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRgnIebnH5o

King in women's doubles:

The event was held, but no results were found for King.

Week of June 4, 1973
Gulf Coast Professional Women's Tournament
Mobile, Alabama, U. S.

Unknown surface

King in singles, [2] seed:

1R  d. Kathy Kuykendall 6-3, 6-3

SF  d. [3]  Valerie Ziegenfuss 7-5, 6-4

FN  d. [4]  Françoise Durr 6-3, 7-5

Singles Note:

King earned US$4,000 for winning the title.

King in women's doubles with Rosemary Casals:

1R  advanced vs. ___________ / _____________
FN  d. Françoise Durr / Valerie Ziegenfuss 

6-3, 4-6, 6-2

Week of June 11, 1973
John Player Tournament
Nottingham, United Kingdom
Grass

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R  bye
2R  d. Lesley Hunt 6-1, 6-1
QF  d. Lany Kaligis 6-1, 6-2
SF  d. Rosemary Casals 6-4, 6-3
FN  d. Virginia Wade 8-6, 6-4

Singles Note:

The final lasted 1 hour, 17 minutes.

King in women's doubles with Rosemary Casals:

1R  advanced vs. __________ / _____________
QF  advanced vs. ___________ / _____________
SF  d. Tory Fretz / Mona Schallau Guerrant 

6-4, 3-6, 6-1
FN  d. Chris Evert / Betty Stöve 6-2, 9-7

Week of June 18, 1973
Rothman's London Grass Court Championships
Queen's Club
London, United Kingdom
Grass

King in women's doubles with Rosemary Casals:

1R  advanced vs. ___________ / _____________
SF  advanced vs. ___________ / _____________
FN  d. Françoise Durr / Betty Stöve 4-6, 6-3, 7-5

Weeks of June 25 & July 2, 1973
Wimbledon
All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club
London, United Kingdom
Grass

General Note:

King played 362 games spread over 17 matches while winning all three events (138 games in 6 singles matches, 105 games in 5 women's doubles matches, and 119 games in 6 mixed doubles matches).

King in singles, [2] seed:

1R  bye
2R  d. Lucia Bassi 6-0, 6-2
3R  d. Kerry Harris 6-2, 6-3
4R  d. Lesley Hunt 6-4, 5-7, 6-0
QF  d. [7]  Kerry Melville Reid 9-8(5), 8-6
SF  d. [3]  Evonne Goolagong Cawley 6-3, 5-7, 6-3
FN  d. [4]  Chris Evert 6-0, 7-5

Singles Notes:

(1) Evert won only 9 points in the first set of the final but led 5-4 in the second set before King won the last 3 games of the match. King said at the time that the first set was the best tennis she had ever played.

(2) King needed 8 match points to defeat Goolagong Cawley in the semifinals. She had 2 match points at 5-4 in the second set before Goolagong Cawley won the last 3 games of the set. King needed 6 more match points in the last game of the match before finally winning it.

King in women's doubles with Rosemary Casals, 

[1] seed:

1R  bye
2R  d. Ilana Kloss / Linky Boshoff 6-3, 6-4
3R  d. Ann Kiyomura / Marita Redondo 6-2, 6-0
QF  d. Julie Anthony / Mona Schallau Guerrant

6-4, 6-3
SF  d. Evonne Goolagong Cawley / Janet Young 

7-5, 7-5
FN  d. [3]  Françoise Durr / Betty Stöve 6-1, 4-6, 7-5

King in mixed doubles with Owen Davidson, 

[2] seed:

1R  bye
2R  d. Dianne Fromholtz Balestrat / Stephen Warboys 9-8, 6-2
3R  d. Kazuko Sawamatsu / Jun Kamiwazumi 6-4, 6-1

4R  d. Wendy Gilchrist Paish / John Paish 6-1, 6-1

QF  d. Martina Navratilova / Jan Kodes 6-3, 6-0
SF  d. [3]  Olga Morozova / Alex Metreveli 

6-7, 7-5, 6-1
FN  d. Janet Newberry / Raul Ramirez 6-3, 6-2

King with all three trophies she won in 1973 at Wimbledon.

Week of July 30, 1973
Virginia Slims of Denver
South High School
Denver, Colorado, U. S.
Hard

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R  d. Tam O'Shaughnessy 6-1, 6-1

2R  d. Françoise Durr 6-2, 6-2

QF  d. Karen Krantzcke 6-2, 7-6(5-2)

SF  d. [5]  Julie Heldman 7-5, 6-2

FN  d. [7]  Betty Stöve 6-4, 6-2

King in women's doubles with Rosemary Casals:

1R  d. Peggy Michel / Valerie Ziegenfuss 6-3, 6-2

SF  advanced vs. ________________ / ________________

FN   Abandoned

Women's Doubles Note:

Casals and King were leading Françoise Durr and Betty Stove 3-2 in the first set of the doubles final when rain halted the match. Eventually, the final was abandoned, with the teams splitting the title and the prize money.
 
Week of August 6, 1973
Commerce Union Bank Classic
Virginia Slims Tour
Centennial Park Tennis Center
Nashville, Tennessee, U. S.
Clay

King in singles, [2] seed:

1R  d. Mary Christenson 6-3, 6-0
2R  d. Kerry Harris 6-4, 6-1
QF  d. [8]  Betty Stöve 7-6(5-1), 6-3
SF  d. Françoise Durr 6-1, 4-6, 6-4
FN  lost to [1]  Margaret Smith Court 6-3, 4-6, 6-2

Singles Notes:

(1) Smith Court ended King's 26-match winning streak in the final. Smith Court broke King early in the first set to take a 3-1 lead and broke again at 5-3 to win the set. There were 7 service breaks in the 10 games of the second set. King broke Smith Court's service in the ninth game and then held serve to win the set. King held serve only once in four attempts in the final set. Smith Court broke King to take a 4-2 lead and broke King again to win the match. There were 13 service breaks in the 27-game match. King held serve only 6 times in 14 attempts compared to Smith Court's success ratio of 8 times in 13 attempts.

(2) During her semifinal match with Durr, King sent a ball sailing over the fence in sheer disgust after missing a shot in the sixth game of the second set. "Françoise had played very badly in the first set, and it was tough when she started to play well in the second set. It was hard to get my game geared to the way she was playing." The high humidity contributed to a slippery racquet that bothered King throughout the match. Rain necessitated a temporary halt in play during the second game of the third set. Just after the match resumed, King held serve to grab a 2-0 lead. But Durr, clearly refreshed by the brief rest, held serve and broke King's service to tie the set at 2-2. King returned the favor by breaking Durr and then winning her own service to take a one-break 4-2 lead. Then it was Durr's turn to rally as she held serve and broke King to force another tie at 4-4. Relying heavily on her backhand for crucial points, King broke Durr's service in the ninth game to lead 5-4 and then won her own service on four consecutive points to take the match amd remain unbeaten in tournament play since early May. "I always am trying to make my shots too good against Billie Jean instead of just hitting the ball back," said Durr. Gesturing with an imaginary baseball bat, King complained that Durr's serves were as difficult as ever to hit. "It's just like a knuckleball. You wait and wait and wait and then the ball's past you for a strike."
 
King in women's doubles with Rosemary Casals, [1] seed:

1R  d. Cecilia Martinez / Wendy Gilchrist Paish 

6-0, 6-2
QF  d. Jill Schwikert / Joy Schwikert 6-0, 6-1

SF  King / Casals defaulted. Janet Newberry / Karen Krantzcke advanced by walkover.

Week of August 13, 1973
Jersey Shore Classic
Virginia Slims Tour
Allaire Racquet Club
Wall Township, New Jersey, U. S.
Indoors

King in singles, [2] seed:

1R  d. Françoise Durr 6-3, 6-2
2R  King defaulted (strained right knee). Joy Schwikert advanced by walkover.
 
Weeks of August 27 & September 3, 1973
US Open
West Side Tennis Club
Forest Hills, Borough of Queens, New York City, U. S.
Grass

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R Stadium Court: d. Margaret "Peggy" Michel 

6-2, 6-3

2R  d. Karen Krantzcke 6-3, 6-1
3R  lost to Julie Heldman 3-6, 6-4, 4-1 retired (influenza)

Singles Notes:

(1)  King retired from her fourth round match with Heldman while ill and suffering from the oppressive heat and humidity. When Heldman complained to the match umpire that King was taking too long between games, King reportedly said to Heldman, "If you want the match that badly, you can have it!"

(2)  Video of end of 1st round match: https://tinyurl.com/64j2k8df

King in women's doubles with Rosemary Casals, 

[1] seed:

1R  d. Martina Navratilova / Lesley Hunt 7-5, 6-0
2R  d. Ilana Kloss / Patricia Walkden Pretorius 

6-1, 2-6, 6-0
QF  d. Julie Anthony / Mona Schallau Guerrant 

6-7, 7-6, 6-1
SF  d. Chris Evert / Olga Morozova 6-2, 6-1
FN  lost to [2]  Margaret Smith Court / Virginia Wade 3-6, 6-3, 7-5

King in mixed doubles with Owen Davidson, 

[1] seed:

1R  d. Marilyn Tesch / Saeed Meer 6-3, 7-5
2R  d. Laurie Fleming / Grover Raz Reid 6-1, 6-3
QF  d. llana Kloss / Jasjit Singh 6-4, 6-4
SF  d. [3]  Rosemary Casals / Frew McMillan 7-5, 6-3
FN  d. [2]  Margaret Smith Court / Marty Riessen 

6-3, 3-6, 7-6

Week of September 10, 1973
World Invitational Classic
Hilton Head Racquet Club
Hilton Head, South Carolina, U. S.
Hard

General Note:

This was a made-for-television special event.

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R  lost to Chris Evert 4-6, 7-6(5-3), 6-1

Singles Note:

King had two match points, the first at 5-3 in the second set with Evert serving and the second at 5-4 in the second set when King double faulted.

King in women's doubles with Chris Evert:

FN  lost to Margaret Smith Court / Evonne Goolagong Cawley 3-6, 6-3, 6-4

King in mixed doubles with Arthur Ashe:

FN  lost to Margaret Smith Court / John Newcombe 3-6, 6-3, 6-4

Week of September 17, 1973
Virginia Slims of Houston
Net Set Racquet Club
Houston, Texas, U. S.
Hard

General Note:

On Thursday night, King won the "Battle of the Sexes" match against Bobby Riggs.

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R  d. Cynthia Doerner 6-0, 6-4 (played on Monday)

2R  d. Kristien Kemmer Shaw Ziska 6-2, 6-1 (played on Monday)

QF  d. Robin Tenney 6-1, 6-1 (played on Friday)

SF  lost to [3]  Rosemary Casals 7-6(5-2), 6-1 (played on Saturday)

Third place match: abandoned because of rain with Nancy Richey leading 5-3 in a scheduled 8-game pro set.

Singles Note:

After losing the semifinal to Rosemary Casals, King said, "I had nothing left to give."

Week of October 1, 1973
Faberge International of Phoenix Tournament Virginia Slims Tour
Phoenix Tennis Center
Phoenix, Arizona, U. S.
Hard

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R  d. Margaret "Peggy" Michel 6-1, 5-7, 6-3
2R  d. Laura Rossouw 6-2, 6-1
QF  d. [8]  Betty Stöve 6-3, 6-4
SF  d. [3]  Kerry Melville Reid 7-6(5-0), 6-3
FN  d. [4]  Nancy Richey 6-1, 6-3

Singles Note:

     From the Arizona Republic newspaper:

Billie Jean King may have a few worlds left to conquer but in her tennis play, particularly in Phoenix, she has nothing left to prove. Her decisive 6-1, 6-3 victory over Mrs. Gunter ... before the largest tennis crowd in Phoenix history, an estimated 4,500, saw Mrs. King in top form. ... [H]er easy triumph over Riggs where Margaret Court had failed and her sweep of Wimbledon have shown what Billie Jean can do when she is really psyched up for a match. Mrs. King was obviously up for her championship match Sunday. Mrs. Gunter never really had a chance. She didn't seem to know where BJK would strike next. After losing the first game of the first set. Billie Jean swept six straight games, driving Nancy back of the baseline, then depositing drop shots just over the net. Mrs. King played Nancy's baseline game most of the match until she saw an opening, then struck. Mrs. Gunter rallied briefly by breaking Mrs. King's service opening the second set. But the Hilton. S.C. pro returned the favor in the fourth game. Nancv held service in game six, but BJ's service ace took the next game. Then a relatively easy missed passing shot cost Nancy her service. Mrs. Gunter's frustration was typified by the match point. Mrs. King drove Nancy into the corner, came up to the net and hit a shot that struck the top of the net and barely bounced over. "This was one of the best days of my life," Billie Jean said after the match. "I was hitting the lines and I had control of every spin, especially on my second serve. I was really pleased."

King in women's doubles with Rosemary Casals, [1] seed:

1R  d. Kristien Kemmer Shaw Ziska / Laura DuPont 6-2, 3-6, 6-2
2R  d. Julie Heldman / Tory Fretz 6-2, 6-2
SF  d. Ann Kiyomura / Pat Bostrom 6-4. unknown

FN  lost to Kerry Melville Reid / Kerry Harris 6-4, 6-4

Women's Doubles Note:

    From the Arizona Republic newspaper:

"The doubles finals proved to be one of the big upsets of the tourney.... The two Kerrys rifled accurate shots all over the court while King-Casals were serving: inconsistently and found themselves outpositioned on alley shots."

Week of October 22, 1973
Virginia Slims of Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii, U. S.
Hard

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R  bye
QF  d. Pat Bostrom 7-5, 6-0
SF  d. Marcie Louie 6-0, 6-2
FN  d. Helen Gourlay Cawley 6-1, 6-1

King in women's doubles:

The event was held, but no results were found for King.

Week of November 19, 1973
Lady Baltimore
Baltimore Civic Center
Baltimore, Maryland, U. S.

Indoors

General Note:

King entered this tournament as a substitute for Chris Evert, who decided to play the South African Open instead.

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R  d. Tory Fretz 7-5, 6-0
SF  d. [4]  Betty Stöve 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
FN  lost to [2]  Rosemary Casals 3-6, 7-6(5-3), 6-4

Singles Note:

In the first set, King trailed Fretz 5-3 and saved a set point. King then turned the match into a rout by winning the last 10 games.

King in women's doubles with Rosemary Casals:

SF  d. Jeanne Evert / Tory Fretz 6-0, 6-1
FN  d. Françoise Durr / Betty Stöve 3-6, 6-4, 6-2

General Note:

King did not play the Bonne Belle Cup in Sydney Australia the week of December 17, 1973. Shortly before this event began, Margaret Smith Court publicly accused King of dodging her ever since the King-Riggs match. According to Smith Court, King demanded US$30,000 to appear at this event. When the organizers agreed to the demand, the Australian said that King then insisted on a percentage of the gate. They did not agree to that.

1972 (Age 28)

Billie Jean King playing in the singles final of the French Open against 

defending champion Evonne Goolagong Cawley.

Billie Jean King won three Grand Slam singles titles in 1972. She finally won the French Open, which completed her career Grand Slam in singles  She also won Wimbledon and the US Open. She did not play the Australian Open at the start of the year, despite being in New Zealand at the end of 1971. King said, "I was twenty-eight years old, and I was at the height of my powers. I'm quite sure I could have won the Grand Slam [in] ... 1972, but the Australian was such a minor-league tournament at that time.... More important, I did not want to miss any Virginia Slims winter tournaments. I was playing enough as it was."

King also won two Grand Slam women's doubles titles, both in partnership with Betty Stöve at the French Open and Wimbledon. The semifinals at both Wimbledon and the US Open were her best finishes in Grand Slam mixed doubles events.

On December 25, 1972, the American magazine Sports Illustrated named her Sportswoman of the Year.

Listed below are 24 singles tournaments (11 of which she won), with a win-loss record of 88-13, 87.13%. By surface: 31-5 on clay, 20-4 on hard courts, 22-1 on grass, and 15-3 indoors.

Also listed below are 18 women's doubles tournaments (8 of which she won), with a win-loss record of 43–8, 84.31%. In addition, King defaulted two matches, which do not count as losses. (Her match win total is incomplete, but her match loss total is complete.)

HEAD-TO-HEAD IN SINGLES

5-0  Kerry Melville Reid
5-0  Rosemary Casals
5-0  Virginia Wade

4-0  Pam Teeguarden
       
3-0  Evonne Goolagong Cawley
3-0  Karen Krantzcke
3-0  Lesley Hunt
3-0  Wendy Overton

3-1  Betty Stöve
3-1  Julie Heldman
2-0  Cecilia Martinez
2-0  Esme Emanuel
2-0  Helen Gourlay Cawley
2-0  Janet Newberry
2-0  Jill Cooper
2-0  Mona Schallau Guerrant
2-0  Nell Truman Robinson
2-0  Pam Austin
2-0  Sharon Walsh Pete
2-0  Valerie Ziegenfuss
2-0  Wendy Gilchrist Paish
2-0  Winnie Shaw Wooldridge

4-3  Nancy Richey

3-2  Margaret Smith Court
1-0  Barbara Downs

1-0  Bonnie Logan
1-0  Helga Niessen Masthoff
1-0  Jade Schiffman

1-0  Judy Tegart Dalton
1-0  Kathy Kuykendall
1-0  Kerry Harris
1-0  Kristien Kemmer Shaw Ziska
1-0  Laura Rossouw
1-0  Laurie Tenney
1-0  Lita Liem Sugiarto
1-0  Mary Ann Eisel Curtis Beattie
1-0  Pam Richmond
1-0  Patricia Ann Reese
1-0  Patti Hogan Fordyce
1-0  Raquel Giscafre
1-0  Veronica Burton

2-2  Françoise Durr

0-1  Marie Neumannova Pinterova

1-3  Chris Evert

Week of January 10, 1972

British Motors Pro Tennis Championships

Virginia Slims Tour

Civic Auditorium

San Francisco, California, U. S.

Indoor (Sportface)

General Notes:

(1) Including the preliminary round, the singles draw included 32 women (5 rounds).

(2) King did not enter the women's doubles event.

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R  d. Cecilia Martinez 6-1, 6-3

QF  d. [8]  Nancy Richey 6-2, 1-6, 6-4

SF  d. [4]  Virginia Wade 6-4, 6-3

FN  d. [6]  Kerry Melville Reid 7-6(5-0), 7-6(5-2)

In the final, King won the last 10 points of the first set after trailing Kerry Melville Reid 5-6 (0-40). King quickly built a 3-0, two-break lead in the second set, but the Australian broke King's serve twice to tie the set at 4-4. There were no further service breaks. At 6-6, another tiebreaker was played. Melville Reid led (2-1), but King won 3 czeonsecutive points for a (4-2) lead. During King's first match point, Melville Reid finally made a backhand error on the 37th hit.

King's prize money was US$3,400 (inflation-adjusted to US$22,100 in April 2021 dollars).

Week of January 17, 1972

Independent Press-Telegram's Women's Tennis Championships

Virginia Slims Tour

Long Beach & Norwalk, California, U. S.

Hard (outdoor) at the Billie Jean King Center and indoor elsewhere

General Notes:

(1) In Long Beach, the tournament was played at the Billie Jean King Center and the Long Beach City College Gymnasium. In Norwalk, the tournament was played at the Cerritos College Men's Gym.

(2) Including the preliminary rounds, the singles draw included 32 women (4 rounds after the preliminary second round).

(3) King did not enter the women's doubles event.

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R  d. Pam Teeguarden 6-1, 6-2 (indoor)

QF  d. [8]  Helen Gourlay Cawley 7-6(5-1), 7-5 (indoor)

SF  lost to [3]  Françoise Durr 6-3, 6-0 (pulled a leg muscle during the match)
     Third place match: King defaulted because of a leg injury. Kerry Melville Reid finished third by walkover.

King pulled a thigh muscle during her quarterfinal defeat of Helen Gourlay Cawley and was unable to rush the net during her semifinal loss to Françoise Durr. King said in her 1982 autobiography, however,that she intentionally lost the semifinal because of an argument with her (King's) husband.

Week of January 31, 1972

Virginia Slims International

The Tennis Club

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U. S.

Clay

General Notes:

(1) The singles draw included 32 women (5 rounds).

(2) King did not enter the women's doubles event.

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R  d. Kathy Kuykendall 6-1, 6-1

2R  d. Valerie Ziegenfuss 6-1, 6-1

QF  d. [7]  Nancy Richey 6-0, 7-6(5-0)

SF  d. [NS]  Wendy Overton 6-2, 6-1

FN  lost to [3]  Chris Evert  6-1, 6-0

A capacity crowd of 3,300 watched the final. King was broken all 6 times she served. Evert won the first 5 games of the match before her only double fault of the day pallowed King to win the sixth game.

King said, "No one ever had beaten me that badly since I started playing big time tennis. I wasn't really ready. I haven't had three days of good practice since last October [1971]. It was my own fault. But I am determined that it won't be that way again." Valley Morning Star, Harlingen, Texas, March 10, 1972, page A10.

King also said, "My game stunk from the start. She could tell it. Chris kept knocking the ball back, waiting for me to make mistakes. And baby, I made 'em. A lot of women who played against her in this tournament pressured themselves right out of the match thinking about having to play Chris in her own town. No matter where we play, nobody's going to think about her as a teenager anymore. She plays like a pro, even if she doesn't take the money."

Evert said, "Concentration - I think that's where Billie Jean failed today. Let's face it. Billie Jean was never in it."

The tour professionals left no doubt whose side they were on, louding cheering for King. Evert said, "I heard the other pros cheering for Billie Jean. Of course I heard them. How could I have helped it - by putting cotton in my ears?" "Go get her Billie Jean!" was their chant during play.

Week of February 14, 1972

Virginia Slims Invitational

Frederickson Field House at Oklahoma City University

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U. S.

Indoor (Sportface)

General Notes:

(1) King was the defending champion in singles.

(2) Including the preliminary rounds, the singles draw included 32 women (4 rounds after the preliminary second round). The doubles draw included 7 teams (3 rounds).

(3) This tournament was a Level C Event on the Virginia Slims tour.

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R  d. Lesley Hunt 6-1, 2-6, 6-4

QF  lost to Betty Stöve 6-3, 7-6(5-4)

In the quarterfinals, Betty Stöve broke serve once to win the first set. Stõve saved 4 set points in the second set tiebreaker, coming back from 1-4 down.

The players attended the draw at Oklahoma City University the day before the first round began. When Lesley Hunt drew King in that round, she cried out, "How could I have such luck!" That night, the players attended a cocktail party and dinner at Quail Creek Country Club in north Oklahoma City.

King in women's doubles with Rosemary Casals, [1] seed;

1R  d. Kerry Melville Reid / Lesley Hunt 6-0, 6-0
SF  d. Helen Gourlay Cawley / Karen Krantzcke 7-6, 5-7, 6-1
FN  d. [2]  Françoise Durr / Judy Tegart Dalton 6-7(4-5), 7-6(5-2), 6-2

Week of February 21, 1972

Virginia Slims of Washington, D. C.

Linden Hill Bath and Tennis Club

Bethesda, Maryland, U. S.

Indoor (Sportface)

General Note:

This tournament was a Level C Event on the Virginia Slims tour.

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R  lost to Julie Heldman 3-6, 6-4, 6-1

Tournament organizers gave King an extra day's rest because she was suffering from a bad knee and an infected toe. But she lost anyway. Afterwards, King said she was "physically and mentally exhausted, and I can't play my best." Julie Heldman said, "[O]n a silver platter, she gave me the third [set]."

King in women's doubles with Rosemary Casals, [1] seed:

1R  King / Casals defaulted. Betty Stöve and Julie Heldman advanced by walkover.

King defaulted this doubles match immediately after losing in the first round of singles, refusing to risk further injury to her toe.

Week of March 6, 1972

Maureen Connolly Brinker Championships

Virginia Slims Tour

T-Bar-M Racquet Club

Dallas, Texas, U. S.

Indoor (Sportface)

General Notes:

(1) Ted Tinling, the famous fashion designer and observer of tennis since the days of Suzanne Lenglen, said that the quarterfinal match between King and Chris Evert was one of the 5 best women's matches since the end of World War II.

(2) Concerning her spotty play during early 1972, King said during this tournament:

Fans are very fickle. I hear whispers, "Well it looks like Billie Jean is over the hill" and I want to turn to them and tell them what I think. I'm far from being over the hill. I'm 28. Women play their best tennis in their 30s. I have been very busy and under great pressure trying to get this Virginia Slims circuit on the road. I've given as many as 20 interviews a day and I've gone into matches so tired that I didn't feel I could lift a racquet. I haven't trained properly. I think it's great that we have these new personalities like Evonne [Goolagong Cawley] and Chris [Evert], but no athlete likes to lose. I have set a new standard in my head. I know if I meet that standard, I can win. If I don't, I lose. Now I intend to get back on that standard. ... I spent 15 years building a reputation and I don't mean to have it destroyed in three weeks." Valley Morning Star, Harlingen, Texas, March 10, 1972, page A10.

(3) The singles draw included 32 women (5 rounds).

(4) The capacity of the venue was 1,500 spectators.

(5) Evonne Goolagong Cawley, King, Chris Evert, Wendy Overton (seeded eighth), and Judy Tegart Dalton (unseeded) were in the same half of the singles draw. Overton defeated Tegart Dalton in the second round, and then lost to Goolagong Cawley in the quarterfinals.

(6) In the other half of the draw were Rosemary Casals (seeded second), Virginia Wade (seeded third), Françoise Durr (seeded sixth), Kerry Melville Reid (seeded seventh), Nancy Richey (unseeded), and Lesley Hunt (unseeded). Wade lost in the first round to Nell Truman Robinson 5-7, 7-6(5-2), 6-3. ln the second round, Durr lost to Richey (reported score varies: 6-3, 6-2 -or- 6-2, 6-0 -or- 6-2, 6-2) and Hunt defeated Casals. Hunt's second major upset was Melville Reid in the quarterfinals while in the same round, Richey defeated Nell Truman Robinson. Thus, the semifinal in this half became Richey versus Hunt.

(7) This tournament was a Level B Event on the Virginia Slims tour.

King in singles, [4] seed:

1R  d. Kristien Kemmer Shaw Ziska 6-2, 6-1

2R  d. Karen Krantzcke 6-3, 6-4

QF d. [5]  Chris Evert 6-7(4-5), 6-3, 7-5

SF  d. [1]  Evonne Goolagong Cawley 1-6, 6-4, 6-1

FN  lost to [NS]  Nancy Richey 7-6(5-2), 6-1

After losing the 1 hour, 5 minute final, King said, "I just ran out of gas. My legs were hurting me and Nancy [Richey] knew it and kept hitting the ball at my feet. I was low on adrenalin. Those earlier matches took it all out of me." Richey had lost her previous 6 matches to King, with her last win coming in October 1970. King's runner-up prize was US$4,000 (inflation-adjusted to US$25,800 in April 2021 dollars).

After a tame first set in her semifinal match with Evonne Goolagong Cawley, King stormed the net. In one glorious stretch, she lost only 1 point through 4 service games. It was Goolagong Cawley who crumbled down the stretch. King took the lead in this rivalry 2-1. King defeated 17 year old Goolagong Cawley 6-3, 6-1 in their first match, which was in the second round of the 1969 Australian Open in Brisbane. The Australian won their second match, which was in the semifinals of Wimbledon in 1971.

The first set of the quarterfinal match between King and Chris Evert was decided by a tiebreaker. King served at (4-4) in the tiebreaker, which was set point for both players. Evert hit a "sizzling return," and King then volleyed beyond the baseline. First set to Evert. In the fifth game of the second set, King faced two break points at 1-3 (15-40). King saved both, won that game, and took the next 4 games to win the second set 6-3. (Evert later confessed that while she had the big lead, she was thinking about how to defeat Goolagong Cawley in the next round.) King began having cramps in both legs at the end of that set, but that did not stop her from building a 4-1, two-break lead in the third set. As King's cramps got worse, however, Evert capitalized by breaking serve twice and winning 4 consecutive games. At 4-5, King served to stay in the match. After losing the first point, King won the next four points to tie the set at 5-5. She then broke Evert at love, which allowed King to serve for the match at 6-5. She won her ninth consecutive point for a (15-0) lead. Although Evert won the next point, King forced a match point. Evert saved it and two more before King won the match on her fourth opportunity. Evert said aftetwards, "I don't think I can play much better than that." Her father Jimmy said that King's serving and volleying were "sensational."

King in women's doubles with Rosemary Casals:

1R

QF

SF

FN  d. Françoise Durr  / Judy Tegart Dalton 6-3, 4-6, 7-5

Week of March 20, 1972

Virginia Slims Invitational

Westwood Racquet Club

Richmond, Virginia, U. S.

Clay (indoor)

General Notes:

(1) The singles draw included 32 women (5 rounds).

(2) On March 17, King and Rosemary Casals played an exhibition in South Bend, Indiana, U. S. at Notre Dame's Athletic and Convocation Center. King won 6-3, 7-6(5-3).

(3) This tournament was a Level C Event on the Virginia Slims tour.

King in singles, [3] seed:

1R  d. Barbara Downs 6-2, 6-3

2R  d. Nell Truman Robinson 6-2, 7-5

QF  d. Janet Newberry 6-1, 6-0

SF  d. [2]  Kerry Melville Reid 6-3, 6-0

FN  d. [4]  Nancy Richey 6-3, 6-4

King broke Nancy Richey's 13-match winning streak in the final. With Richey leading 3-2 in the first set, King won 11 consecutive points and broke serve to win the set. A similar scenario happened in the second set, with King winning 9 consecutive points after trailing 2-3.

King in women's doubles with Rosemary Casals, [1] seed:

1R  d. Cecilia Martinez / Esme Emanuel 6-1, 6-4
QF  d. Vicki Berner / Cynthia Siler 6-1, 7-5
SF  d. Kerry Melville Reid / Kerry Harris 7-5, 6-3

FN  d. [2]  Judy Tegart Dalton / Karen Krantzcke 7-5, 7-6

Week of March 27, 1972

Caribe Hilton Invitational

Virginia Slims Tour

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Hard

General Notes:

(1)  The singles draw (after the two preliminary rounds) included 16 women (4 rounds), and the doubles draw included 8 teams (3 rounds).

(2) This tournament was a Level D Event on the Virginia Slims tour.

King in singles, [2] seed:

1R  d. Janet Newberry 6-2, 6-3

QF  d. Nell Truman Robinson 6-2, 6-1

SF  lost to [3]  Nancy Richey 7-6(5-3), 6-1

In a contentious semifinal, Nancy Richey refused to continue play at the start of the tiebreak unless a line judge were removed. After winning the tiebreak, Richey needed only 25 minutes to win the second set. The line calling was horrid from the start. First, King got upset when a linesman kept waving to his friends in the gallery. Then came Richey's protest, after a linesman called a King shot good that Richey insisted was out. Right after that, there was another controversial call, with King suggesting that yet another linesman be removed. By now, the whole crowd was yelling out. Most of the close calls appeared to go against King. A demoralized King also had to contend with a strong sun causing a glare on her eyeglasses.

King in women's doubles with Rosemary Casals:

QF  d. Janet Newberry / Marcie Louie 6-0, 6-0
SF  d. Kerry Melville Reid / Nell Truman Robinson 6-1, 6-1
FN  d. Judy Tegart Dalton / Karen Krantzcke 6-2, 6-3

Week of April 3, 1972

Virginia Slims of Jacksonville

Deerwood Country Club

Jacksonville, Florida, U. S.

Clay

General Notes:

(1) The singles draw included 32 women (5 rounds), and the doubles draw included 15 teams (4 rounds).

(2) This tournament was a Level D Event on the Virginia Slims Tour.

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R  d. Pam Austin 6-0, 6-0

2R  d. Pam Teeguarden 6-2, 6-4

QF  d. [4]  Karen Krantzcke 6-1, 6-1

SF  d. [NS]  Lita Liem Sugiarto 6-2, 6-2

FN  lost to [NS]  Marie Neumannova Pinterova 6-4, 6-3

After the final, King said, "It was a great day for tennis but a lousy one for Billie Jean King. It was extremely windy, but I usually play well in the wind. She [Marie Neumannova Pinterova] just played far superior and deserved to win."

King defeated Pam Teeguarden in the second round with a racquet borrowed from Pam O'Shaughnessy after King's racquets were stolen from a car. 

King in women's doubles with Vicki Berner:

1R  d. Janet Newberry / Patricia Ann Reese 6-1, 6-4
QF  d. Corinne Molesworth / Jill Cooper 7-6, 6-3
SF  d. Wendy Overton / Valerie Ziegenfuss 4-6, 7-5, 6-1
FN  lost to Judy Tegart Dalton / Karen Krantzcke 7-5, 6-1

The final was King's first loss of the year in women's doubles after 14 wins.

Week of April 10, 1972

Virginia Slims Masters

Bartlett Park Tennis Center

Saint Petersburg, Florida, U. S.

Clay

General Notes:

(1) This tournament was a Level D Event on the Virginia Slims Tour.

(2) The third-seeded team of Wendy Overton and Karen Krantzcke won the women's doubles title. They defeated the top-seeded team of Judy Tegart Dalton and Françoise Durr in the final. The latter team had defeated Chris and Jeanne Evert in the quarterfinals 6-3, 6-4.

Draws:

The singles draw included 32 women (5 rounds), and the doubles draw included 14 teams (4 rounds).

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R  d. Wendy Gilchrist Paish 6-3, 6-3

2R  d. Jill Cooper 7-5, 6-1

QF  d. [5]  Françoise Durr 7-5, 6-2

SF  lost to [4]  Chris Evert 6-2, 6-3

     Third place match:  King finished in third place by walkover. Judy Tegart Dalton, the seventh seed, defaulted.

On the way to the final, Chris Evert routined King yet again on clay. Evert quickly took a 3-0, two-break lead in the first set. King pulled to within 2-3 by breaking Evert in the fourth game and then holding serve. Evert held serve for a 4-2 lead. From break point in the seventh game, Evert won 13 consecutive points - she won all 4 points in the last game of the first set, all 4 points to break King and take a 1-0 lead in the second set, and all 4 points to take a 2-0 lead in the second set. King attacked the net strongly to pull within 1-3. But Evert then held serve, and, as King stayed at the baseline, Evert broke again for a 5-1 lead. King saved 2 match points before breaking Evert in the seventh game. King then held serve while mimicking Evert's baseline game. Evert put away the match in the next game at (40-30), which was her third match point. King said that this match was similar to the Fort Lauderdale match two months earlier when King won only 1 game. "I played a little better today. Not well but better." With this win, Evert took a 3-2 lead in their rivalry, with all of Evert's wins on clay.

King in women's doubles with Nancy Richey, [2] seed:

1R  bye
QF  d. [NS]  Lany Kaligis / Lita Liem Sugiarto 6-1, 6-3
SF  lost to [3]  Wendy Overton / Karen Krantzcke 4-6, 6-3, 7-5

Week of April 17, 1972

Virginia Slims Conquistadores

Tucson Racquet Club

Tucson, Arizona, U. S.

Hard

General Notes:

(1) This tournament was a Level C Event on the Virginia Slims Tour.

(2) King said that she finds the circuit draining, complaining about how she is hounded by the media and autograph seekers.

Draws:

The singles draw included 32 women (5 rounds), and the doubles draw included 12 teams (4 rounds).

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R  d. Pam Richmond 6-0, 6-2

2R  d. Pam Austin 6-1, 6-0

QF  d. [NS]  Kerry Harris 5-7, 6-3, 7-5

SF  d. [4]  Judy Tegart Dalton 6-2, 6-2

FN  d. [3]  Françoise Durr 6-0, 6-3

King beat an off-form Françoise Durr in the final. Durr said, "I was not very good, but Billie Jean did not make 3 mistakes during the match." The key game was at 4-3 in the second set, with King winning it after 6 deuces.

King was lucky to reach the final. She survived 3 match points after trailing 2-5 in the third set of her quarterfinal versus Kerry Harris.

King in women's doubles with Vicki Berner:

1R  bye
QF  d. Cecilia Martinez / Mona Schallau Guerrant 6-1, 6-4
SF  lost to [3]  Kerry Harris / Karen Krantzcke 6-3, 6-2

Week of May 1, 1972

Virginia Slims Indoor

Indianapolis Fairgrounds Coliseum

Indianapolis, Indiana, U. S.

Indoor

General Notes:

(1) This tournament was a Level C Event on the Virginia Slims Tour.

(2) The singles draw included (after the 2 preliminary rounds) 32 women (5 rounds).

(3) King did not enter the women's doubles event.

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R  d. Laurie Tenney 6-4, 6-1

QF  d. Mary Ann Eisel Curtis Beattie 7-6(5-4), 3-6, 6-3

SF  d. [5]  Wendy Overton 6-3, 6-2

FN  d. [2]  Nancy Richey 6-3, 6-3

In the quarterfinals, King survived 7 set points with Mary Ann Eisel Curtis Beattie serving at 6-5 in the first set. The game went to 14 deuces and had 34 points played before King prevailed. King survived another set point at (4-4) in the first set tiebreaker.

Weeks of May 22 & 29, 1972

French Open

Roland Garros Stadium

Paris, France

Clay

General Note:

King almost skipped this year's French Open. She entered because it was a mandatory tournament on the women's Grand Prix and because she felt it would give her good practice for Wimbledon.

King in singles, [3] seed:

1R  bye

2R  bye

3R  d. Winnie Shaw Wooldridge 6-3, 6-0

4R  d. Valerie Ziegenfuss 6-3, 6-1

QF  d. [6]  Virginia Wade 6-1, 6-3

SF  d. [7]  Helga Niessen Masthoff 6-4, 6-4

FN  d. [1]  Evonne Goolagong Cawley 6-3, 6-3

http://www.ina.fr/sport/tennis/video...lagong.fr.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9et9s-BcRYk

King won the French Open singles title on her seventh attempt before 12,000 spectators. This title completed her career Grand Slam in singles. King's net game in the 66-minute final was devastating as defending champion Evonne Goolagong Cawley played mainly from the baseline. King won the first set by breaking serve in the first (at love) and last games (at 15-40). The Australian lost the first 5 points of the match, 4 of them on errors. She also lost the first 3 points of the last game of the first set. Goolagong Cawley broke serve in the first game of the second set, but King broke back immediately. King saved 3 break points in the third game from (0-40). The Australian then held serve from (15-30), followed immediately by a break of King's serve at love to take a 3-2, one-break lead. But King broke back immediately for a 3-3 tie. King held serve and then broke Goolagong Cawley again after 1 deuce to lead 5-3. King then served-out the championship but not before falling behind (0-30) and saving a break point at (30-40) by hitting a winning volley to the corner. At deuce, Goolagong Cawley netted her forehand approach shot and, on the ensuing match point, she hit a backhand beyond the baseline. David Gray at The Guardian newspaper in London wrote on June 5, 1972, "Last year's golden girl, hitting without ambition, adventure, or accuracy, quickly came to dust [in the final].... She was bewildered and out-manoeuvred; she made her openings and then wasted her chances; and in the end she fell to a player with far greater determination and a much sharper appetite for points. ... This was the kind of match which makes a young player grow old. Mrs. King was concentrated and intense, working hard for her points, determined not to let anything slip away.... Miss Goolagong always looked as though she still had a great deal to learn. This was mistress and pupil. ... [After the match,] Vic Edwards, Miss Goolagong's coach, [said], 'There are no excuses. She was absolutely fit. She was just heavy legged.'"

 

In the semifinals, King jumped out to a 5-1 first set lead only for Helga Niessen Masthoff to get within 1 point of leveling the set at 5-5. King used her drop shot to good effect against the German clay court expert who defeated King in 1970 at this tournament. The West German said about King's drop shot: "[Her drop shot is] very deceptive, because they come off her racquet just like a slice shot and you think they are just high, and then they just drop down." King said, "My instinctive way of playing seems to be to Helga's advantage. Helga seems to play better the harder and harder I hit." Finding the clay packed harder, King employed fewer drop shots in the semifinals than she did in the quarterfinals. King won her semifinal the hard way -  outsteadying Niessen Masthoff.

Throughout her quarterfinal match with Virginia Wade, King drop-shotted the Englishwoman, following any returned gets with passing shots.

King in women's doubles with Betty Stöve, [4] seed:

1R  Advanced by walkover. Julie Heldman / Carmen Coronado Mandarino defaulted.

2R  d. Gail Sherriff Chanfreau Lovera / Rosie Reyes Darmon 6-2, 6-2

QF  d. [NS]  Kerry Melville Reid / Kerry Harris  6-2, 6-3

SF  d. [1]  Françoise Durr / Judy Tegart Dalton 4-6, 6-3, 6-1

FN  d. [NS]  Winnie Shaw Wooldridge / Nell Truman Robinson 6-1, 6-2

King and Betty Stöve had never before played doubles together.

In the 36-minute final, King and Stöve broke Nell Truman Robinson's service to take a 3-1 first set lead. They then broke Winnie Shaw Wooldridge's service for a 5-1 lead. In the second set, King and Stöve again broke serve twice to win the match.

King in mixed doubles with Clark Graebner, [4] seed:

1R  d. Laura Rossouw / Norman Perry 6-3, 6-2

2R  d. Betty Stöve / Tomas Lejus 6-4, 9-7

QF  lost to Virginia Wade / Robert Hewitt 8-6, 6-3

Week of June 5, 1972

John Player Round Robin

The Park Courts

Nottingham, United Kingdom

Grass

1RR  d. Virginia Wade 6-7(5-7), 6-3, 6-4

2RR  d. Rosemary Casals 6-7(4-7), 6-4, 7-5 (35 games)

3RR  versus Evonne Goolagong Cawley canceled because of rain.

King was awarded first place "based on percentages."

Week of June 12, 1972

W.D. & H.O. Wills Open

Redlands Club

Bristol, United Kingdom

Grass

General Notes:

(1) This tournament also was known as the West of England Championships.

(2) The singles draw included 16 women (4 rounds).

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R  d. Pam Teeguarden 4-6, 6-3, 6-4

QF  d. Laura Rossouw 6-0, 6-3

SF  d. [2]  Rosemary Casals 6-3, 6-2

FN  d. [NS]  Kerry Melville Reid 6-3, 6-2

In the final, King "demoralized" Kerry Melville Reid and needed only 40 minutes to win the title. King won US$5,600 (inflation-adjusted to US$35,900 in April 2021 dollars).

In her quarterfinal match with Laura Rossouw, King won the first 7 games with the loss of only 13 points.

In the first round, King trailed Pam Teeguarden by a set and a break at 1-0 before rallying to win the match. 

King in women's doubles with Rosemary Casals:

FN  lost to Helen Gourlay Cawley / Karen Krantzcke 6-4, 6-2

Week of June 19, 1972

Rothman's Grass Court Championships

Queen's Club

London, United Kingdom

Grass

King in women's doubles with Rosemary Casals, [1] seed:

SF  d. Olga Morozova / Sharon Walsh Pete 4-6, 6-4, 6-4

FN  d. Patricia Walkden Pretorius / Brenda Kirk 5-7, 6-0, 6-2

Weeks of June 26 & July 3, 1972

Wimbledon

All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club

London, United Kingdom

Grass

General Note:

Many spectators for the women's singles final paid US$100 (inflation-adjusted to US$637 in April 2021 dollars) to scalpers for tickets whose face values were US$9 (inflation-adjusted to US$57 in April 2021 dollars).

King in singles, [2] seed:

1R  bye

2R  d. Sharon Walsh Pete 6-2, 6-0

3R  d. Cecilia Martinez 6-1, 6-3

4R  d. Winnie Shaw Wooldridge 6-4, 6-2

QF  d. [7]  Virginia Wade 6-1, 3-6, 6-3

SF  d. [6]  Rosemary Casals 6-2, 6-4 Pre-match photo

FN  d. [1]  Evonne Goolagong Cawley 6-3, 6-3

King needed only 50 minutes to rout Evonne Goolagong Cawley in the final to become the first woman since Louise Brough in 1955 to win the Wimbledon singles title four times. The match "lacked atmosphere and excitement and offered little high class tennis." The Australian's first serve was frequently off target, and she lost many points off her soft and vulnerable second serve.

Goolagong Cawley said, "Playing the semifinal against Chris [Evert] had taken so much off my shoulders. I relaxed and did not get in the right frame of mind."

Because of windy conditions, King said their play was "spotty" and, "It's difficult playing a Wimbledon final. You don't have to play great tennis. You just have to be better than your opponent. Both of us were really nervous because it was so windy. You never knew where the ball was going." Still, she said that "from an artistic point of view, this is the happiest I have ever been with my game." King said, "My determination to win the 1972 title really started with the handshakes after that semifinal last year" when she lost to Goolagong Cawley. "I had a wonderful year in 1971. I won 19 tournaments, and I thought I was the best player. It really worried me, losing that semifinal to Evonne, and I've worried about it ever since. That is why today's match meant so much to me."

The King versus Virginia Wade encounter was the best played match of the quarterfinals. King won the first 5 games of the match, losing only 8 points. King gave Wade a long stare when Wade went on a tear in the second set with the crowd roaring. Wade continued her fine play in the third set, but King raised her play to an even higher plane. In the fourth game, Wade failed to get a first serve in and King took advantage to break serve. The match ended on a delicate stab volley that clipped the line. The second set of this match was the only set King lost all year in the 3 Grand Slam tournaments she contested.

King in women's doubles with Betty Stöve, [1] seed:

1R  bye

2R  d. Lany Kaligis / Lita Liem Sugiarto 6-3, 6-1

3R  d. Denise Carter-Triolo / Kristy Pigeon Crawford 6-1, 6-1

QF  d. [NS]  Wendy Gilchrist Paish / Laura Rossouw 6-2, 6-1

SF  d. [NS]  Winnie Shaw Wooldridge / Joyce Williams 7-5, 3-6, 6-3

FN  d. [3]  Françoise Durr / Judy Tegart Dalton 6-2, 4-6, 6-3

This was King's third consecutive women's doubles title here and her eighth in the last 12 years (1961-72). She was the runner-up in 1964 and a quarterfinalist in 1966.

King in mixed doubles with Clark Graebner, [3] seed:

1R  bye

2R  Advanced by walkover. Mandy Morgan / Ross Case defaulted.

3R  d. Marjorie Gengler / Eugene Scott 6-1, 6-2

4R  d. Fiorella Bonicelli / Ivan Molina 9-7, 6-1

QF  Advanced by walkover. Isabel Fernandez / Patricio Conejo defaulted.

SF  lost to [2]  Rosemary Casals / Ilie Nastase 9-8, 7-5

Rain caused the mixed doubles semifinal to be halted for the day with Rosemary Casals and Ilie Nastase leading 9-8, 5-5. The last two games were played the next day.

Week of July 31, 1972

Virginia Slims of Columbus

Columbus Country Club

Columbus, Georgia, U. S.

Clay

General Notes:

(1) This tournament was a Level C Event on the Virginia Slims Tour.

(2) The singles draw included 32 women (5 rounds), and the doubles draw imcluded 16 teams (4 rounds).

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R  d. Jade Schiffman 6-4, 6-0

2R  d. Wendy Gilchrist Paish 6-3, 6-4

QF  d. [8]  Helen Gourlay Cawley 0-6, 6-3, 6-2

SF  lost to [5]  Françoise Durr 2-6, 6-2, 6-2

Françoise Durr ended King's 29-match winning streak. King led 2-0 in the third set. At that point, Durr thought to herself, "Well, zat's eet." She decided to just keep the ball in play and see what happens. King then started making numerous errors, allowing Durr to win the last 6 games. She said, "I really don't know what happened. ... I never know when I'm going to beat her, but I always know that I can beat her."

King in women's doubles with Rosemary Casals:

1R  d. Sharon Banzhaf / Sue Pritula 6-2, 6-2

QF  d. Susan Epstein / Kathy Kuykendall 6-1, 6-0

SF  King / Rosemary Casals defaulted. Kerry Melville Reid / Kerry Harris advanced by walkover.

King withdrew from doubles immediately after losing to Françoise Durr in the singles semifinals.

Week of August 14, 1972

Virginia Slims of Denver

South Denver High School Tennis Stadium

Denver, Colorado, U. S.

Hard

General Notes:

(1) This tournament was a Level B Event on the Virginia Slims Tour.

(2) King did not enter the women's doubles event.

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R  d. Raquel Giscafre 6-1, 6-3

2R  d. Karen Krantzcke 6-4, 6-3

QF  d. [NS]  Julie Heldman 6-1, 1-6, 6-3

SF  d. [NS]  Lesley Hunt 6-2, 6-4

FN  lost to [3]  Nancy Richey 1-6, 6-4, 6-4

Nancy Richey after
winning the final.

King lost the first game of the final with Nancy Richey before winning the next 7 games to lead 6-1, 1-0. King had a game point to lead 5-4 but got broken. Richey served out the next game at love to tie the set 4-4. Upset with some line calls in the second set, King demanded that a linesman be replaced. The chair umpire refused. King lost her serve after 3 deuces in the opening game of the third set. Noticing the offending linesman was still around, she complained throughout the third set. Richey got broken when leading 3-1, but managed 2 more breaks to run out the match. The crowd of 2,000 was firmly in King's corner despite her outbursts, prompting her to call them her "all-time audience in ten years. They were really good to me. I'll never forget it."

King put on a "brilliant display of net play" in her second round defeat of Karen Krantzcke.

Week of August 21, 1972

Virginia Slims Grass Court Championships

Newport Casino

Newport, Rhode Island, U. S.

Grass

General Notes:

(1) This tournament was a Level C Event on the Virginia Slims Tour.

(2) Margaret Smith Court, seeded sixth, capitalized on second-seeded Chris Evert's "unusually inaccurate groundstrokes" to win their semifinal match 6-3, 6-0. After Evert took a 2-0 lead in the first set, Smith Court won 12 of the last 13 games of the match.

(3) Evert routed Julie Heldman 6-1, 6-0 in the third place match.

(4) Smith Court and Lesley Hunt won their semifinal doubles match with Betty Stöve and Françoise Durr by taking two-of-three 9-point tiebreakers in lieu of a third set. The tiebreaker scores were 5-3, 2-5, 5-3. The match score was reported as 6-3, 5-7, 2-1.

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R  d. Esme Emanuel 6-0, 6-2

2R  d. Betty Stöve 6-2, 6-0

QF  d. [NS]  Pam Teeguarden 7-5, 6-0

SF  d. [NS]  Julie Heldman 6-0, 6-3

FN  lost to [6]  Margaret Smith Court 6-4, 6-1

After being routed by Margaret Smith Court in the final, King said that the upcoming US Open preoccupied her mind. "I was lousy [today], but Margaret was fine. ... I couldn't get psyched." According to Bud Collins of the Boston Globe newspaper, "On the wet, heavy Casino turf, Margaret ... moved quickly and cleverly. She delayed her net rushes until she found an approach shot to her liking. Her ground strokes were sensational." The match was played before a standing-room-only crowd of 2,500, with people getting in line as early as 7:30 am for the few remaining tickets. King earned US$2,200 (inflation-adjusted to US$14,300 in April 2021 dollars) for being the runner-up.

In the semifinal match between King and Julie Heldman, the Van Allen Simplified Scoring Sysrem was used, which awarded a game to the first person to win 4 points. King broke Heldman the first two times she served with game scores of (4-3). Under normal scoring, King would have had a break point instead of winning the game.

King in women's doubles with Rosemary Casals, [1] seed:

1R  d. Marcie Louie / Kathy Kuykendall 6-1, 6-3

QF  d. [NS]  Julie Heldman / Kristy Pigeon Crawford 6-1, 6-2

SF  d. [4]  Wendy Overton / Valerie Ziegenfuss 6-4, 6-2

FN  lost to [3]  Margaret Smith Court / Lesley Hunt 6-2, 6-2

Margaret Smith Court's service and Lesley Hunt's "fine volleying" proved to be the difference in victory over the top-seeded team of King and Rosemary Casals. King earned US$150 (inflation-adjusted to US$955 in April 2021 dollars) for being the runner-up.

Weeks of August 28 & September 4, 1972

US Open

West Side Tennis Club

Forest Hills, Borough of Queens, New York City

Grass

General Note:

King won only US$10,000 (inflation-adjusted to US$63,450 in April 2021 dollars) for winning the singles title compared to US$25,000 (inflation-adjusted to US$158,600 in April 2021 dollars) for the men's singles winner.

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R  d. Patti Hogan Fordyce 6-3, 6-2 (Stadium Court)

2R  d. Esme Emanuel 6-1, 6-3
3R  d. Sharon Walsh Pete 6-4, 6-4

QF  d. [8]  Virginia Wade 6-2, 7-5 (Stadium Court)

SF  d. [5]  Margaret Smith Court 6-4, 6-4 (Stadium Court)

FN  d. [9]  Kerry Melville Reid 6-3, 7-5 (Stadium Court)

The final was closer than any of King's other matches, but her serve was too much for Kerry Melville Reid. King broke serve to take a 3-1 lead in the first set and never appeared in trouble during that set. But Melville Reid almost capitalized on the strong wind that sprang up in the second set. She broke serve to even the set a 3-3 and had leads of 4-3 and 5-4, but she could not break King's service. Melville Reid then double faulted on break point to allow King to take a 6-5 lead.

Before 10,106 spectators, the first women's semifinal of the day between King and Margaret Smith Court was "full of robust, forceful, all-court attack." King played beautifully and was more consistent in her attack, with Smith Court making too many forehand errors to keep up. The Australian opened the match by holding serve at love. Two games later, however, King broke Smith Court's serve at love by pressuring her into 3 consecutive errors punctuated by a double fault. Smith Court had 2 service break opportunities in the next game at (15-40) but King once again turned on the pressure to win 4 consecutive points for a 3-1 lead. In game 6, Smith Court had another break point at (40-Ad) that King saved with a volley winner followed by 2 great first serves for a 4-2 lead. King broke Smith Court's serve in the first game of the second set. Smith Court earned one break point in the next game that King saved with a strong serve. That was Smith Court's last break point of the match. She did not attend the post-match press conference, with King claiming there was nothing she could have said had she been there. The last time King had defeated Court in a Grand Slam singles match was in the final of the 1968 Australian Championships.

From The New York Times on September 9, 1972:  

Billie Jean refused to trade slam-bang strokes with the 5-foot, 11 inch Margaret Court. [King] said that she is ... “too strong and too rangy for any woman to overpower. ... Trying to match ... [her] power is a mistake many smaller players make. What we should use is brain power.” [On this day,] Mrs. King ... [added] an accurate first serve ... [to that] brain power ... as Mrs. Court didn't return service well and never ... [broke] service. ... Billie Jean broke once in each set - just enough. The match ended on a slightly sour note. With Mrs. King serving for the match at 5-4[, she quickly built a (40-0) lead and arrived at triple match point.... But] Mrs. Court put together a last-ditch effort deserving of a champion who wants her crown back. She [saved 2 match points by blistering] a Billie Jean serve across court for a sensational winner and then volleyed sharply at Billie Jean's feet for another score. On the next [match] point, with Mrs. King trapped in midcourt, Margaret sent a hard backhand [crosscourt] ... that looked good to the crowd and to Margaret but out to Billie Jean. Mrs. King started to throw her racquet high in victory, but then she seemed to remember she hadn't heard the lineswoman make a call. Mrs. Court began to return to the baseline, thinking the score was deuce. A hush fell over the stadium as the delayed verdict was awaited. “Out!” came the signal, and then “Game, set and match Mrs. King” was announced by the umpire, as Mrs. Court's shoulders sagged, Mrs. King finally threw her racquet high in the air and the fans, hoping for a longer match, sighed audibly. The basic difference yesterday between the 30 year old Mrs. Court, who had a baby six months ago, and the 28 year old Mrs. King, who has had operations on both her knees, was in mobility. Billie Jean raced down the lobs and caught up to many passing atempts, while Margaret relied on her tremendous reach. This time, speed won out. Another reason, offered by Mrs. King, might be attitude.... “Inner peace has come to me. Until about three days ago, I've felt uneasy, not caring much about winning and concerned more with other problems. Suddenly, at dinner the other night, a kind of wave passed over me, and I said to Larry, my husband, ‘It's O.K., everything's going to be all right."

Virginia Wade, the champion here in 1968, "fought like a tigress" before losing to King in the quarterfinals. Wade led 4-1 in the second set before King found a higher gear that Wade could not match as she swept to victory by winning 6 of the last 7 games.

King in women's doubles with Rosemary Casals, [1] seed:

1R  d. Marcie Louie / Laura Rossouw 6-1, 6-0 (Grandstand)

2R  d. Fiorella Bonicelli / Isabel Fernandez 7-6, 6-4

QF  d. Olga Morozova / Patti Hogan Fordyce 4-6, 6-3, 6-2

SF  lost to [4]  Betty Stöve / Françoise Durr 7-6, 3-6, 6-4 (Grandstand)

King and partner lost to Betty Stöve and partner in the semifinals. King and Stöve had partnered to win both Wimbledon and the French Open earlier in the year.

King in mixed doubles with Owen Davidson, [3] seed:

1R  d. Kerry Harris / Ernie Ewert 7-6, 6-0

2R  d. Karen Krantzcke / Colin Dibley 6-0, 7-6

3R  d. Mona Schallau Guerrant / Ian Fletcher 6-3, 6-1

QF  d. [5]  Betty Stöve / Robert Maud 6-3, 6-4

SF  lost to [1]  Rosemary Casals / Ilie Nastase 4-6, 6-4, 7-6

Week of September 11, 1972

Four Roses Premium Tennis Classic

Virginia Slims Tour

Olde Providence Racquet and Swim Club

Charlotte, North Carolina, U. S.

Clay

General Notes:

(1) This tournament was a Level A Event on the Virginia Slims Tour.

(2) The women's doubles final was abandoned because of rain with third-seeded Margaret Smith Court / Lesley Hunt leading top-seeded Betty Stöve / Françoise Durr 3-2 in the first set. The four players each received US$375 (inflation-adjusted to US$2,375 in April 2021 dollars).

(3) The singles draw included 32 women (5 rounds).

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R  d. Patricia Ann Reese 6-1, 6-1

2R  d. Betty Stöve 6-0, 6-4

QF  d. Mona Schallau Guerrant 6-2, 6-7(2-5), 6-1

SF  d. [4]  Rosemary Casals 6-2, 6-3

FN  d. [3]  Margaret Smith Court 6-2, 6-2

King said that the final with Margaret Smith Court was the best match she played all tournament. She said that she tried to keep the ball away from Smith Court. "You can't let her swing out at the ball. It's like jamming a power hitter in baseball." Smith Court led 2-1 in the first set before King won the last 5 games of the set.

King received US$12,000 (inflation-adjusted to US$76,120 in April 2021 dollars) for winning the singles title. Smith Court received US$5,000 (inflation-adjusted to US$31,720 in April 2021 dollars) for being the runner-up.

King in women's doubles with Rosemary Casals, [2] seed:

1R  d. Patricia Ann Reese / Kathy Kuykendall 6-1, 6-1
QF  d. Wendy Overton / Laura Rossouw 2-6, 0-1 retired (Rossouw sprained ankle)

SF  lost to [3]  Margaret Smith Court / Lesley Hunt 6-2, 7-5

Week of September 18, 1972

The Golden Gate Pacific Coast Classic

Virginia Slims Tour

Golden Gate Fields (Albany) & Golden Gateway Tennis and Swim Club (San Francisco)

Albany & San Francisco, California, U. S.

Hard

General Notes:

(1) This tournament was a Level C Event on the Virginia Slims tour. The tournament director was Larry King, Billie Jean's husband.

(2) The singles draw included 32 women (5 rounds).

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R  d. Jill Cooper 6-0, 6-2
2R  d. Betty Stöve 6-3, 6-3
QF  d. [8]  Julie Heldman 6-1, 6-1
SF  d. [4]  Kerry Melville Reid 6-0, 6-2
FN  lost to [2]  Margaret Smith Court 6-4, 6-1

Margaret Smith Court swamped King in the final in only 57 minutes of play. King broke Smith Court twice in the first set for a 4-2 lead. But King then lost 6 consecutive games to trail by a set and 2-0. "Spectators said Mrs. King did not have her usual enthusiasm for the game, and [she] afterwords told the crowd she was tired." King got jeered by the crowd for appearing to give up towards the end of the match. King said later:

I had one of those insignificant days ... a walkabout as Evonne Goolagong [Cawley] would call it. ... There are days when tennis is significant and days when it isn't. This was one when it wasn't. I wasn't playing very well even when I was ahead. I didn't feel anything. I was flat. ... I tried as much as I could.

King earned US$2,500 for being the runner-up (inflation-adjusted to US$15,860 in April 2021 dollars).

After being overwhelmed by King in their semifinal match, Kerry Melville Reid said, "For whatever reason, I just couldn't seem to get into the match, and everytime I had a chance, everytime I hit a good shot, Billie hit a better one." King said that she was so tired that she couldn't remember anything about the match.

King was "almost flawless" during her defeat of Julie Heldman in the quarterfinals.

King in women's doubles with Ann Haydon Jones:

1R  d. Margaret Cooper / Barbara Downs 3-6, 6-0, 6-1
QF  d. Cecilia Martinez / Esme Emanuel 6-2, 6-2
SF  d. Betty Stöve / Françoise Durr 6-7, 6-1, 6-3
FN  d. Margaret Smith Court / Lesley Hunt 7-5, 2-6, 7-6(5-4)

The final was decided at simultaneous match point for both teams. King "whistled a forehand out of Mrs. Court's reach" to win the title. King earned US$300 (inflation-adjusted to US$1,900 in April 2021 dollars).

Week of September 25, 1972

Virginia Slims Phoenix Thunderbird

Phoenix Tennis Center

Phoenix, Arizona

Hard

General Notes:

(1) This tournament was a Level C Event on the Virginia Slims Tour.

(2) The singles draw included 32 women (5 rounds)

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R  d. Bonnie Logan 6-2, 6-2

2R  d. Mona Schallau Guerrant 6-1, 6-4
QF  d. Veronica Burton 6-2, 6-4
SF  d. [4]  Rosemary Casals 6-3, 7-6(5-0)
FN  d. [2]  Margaret Smith Court 7-6(5-1), 6-3

In a 112 degree temperature before 4,100 spectators, Margaret Smith Court led 5-3 in the first set and 3-2 in the second set, but could not hold the lead in either. Smith Court double faulted twice in the first set tiebreak. Later, King said, "It's really important versus Margaret not to let her win that first set. If you stay even with her or get ahead, you have a chance because she gets tight." King's tournament earnings for the year were boosted over US$100,000 (inflation-adjusted to US$634,100 in April 2021 dollars) for the second consecutive year.

In her semifinal match with King, Casals in the second set led 3-0 and served for the set with a 5-3 lead. King broke her, but in the next game, King was only 2 points from losing the set at 4-5 (0-30). But she held to tie the set at 5-5.

King in women's doubles with Ann Haydon Jones, [4] seed:

1R  d. Vicki Berner / Madeleine Pegel 6-3, 6-3
QF  d. Corinne Molesworth / Mona Schallau Guerrant 7-5, 6-2
SF  lost to [1]  Betty Stöve / Françoise Durr 5-7, 6-4, 7-6(5-3)

Week of October 9, 1972

Virginia Slims Championships

Boca Raton Hotel and Club

Boca Raton, Florida

Clay (Har-Tru)

General Note:

Women's doubles was not held.

Draw:

The draw is available.

King in singles, [1] seed:

1R  d. [NS]  Lesley Hunt 6-1, 6-1
QF  d. [8]  Wendy Overton 7-6, 6-2
SF  lost to [4]  Chris Evert 6-4, 6-2
     Third place match: King defaulted. Françoise Durr, seeded seventh, finished third by walkover.

King was reportedly very ill during her semifinal with Chris Evert. Larry King, her husband, said, "She really was very ill, but she was determined to finish that match and not have to walk off the court. At one point, the umpire gave Billie Jean his hat so she could be sick in it, but she went out there and finished in that 90 degree heat."

The third (Durr) and fourth place finishers (King) each received US$9,000 (inflation-adjusted to US$56,800 in April 2021 dollars).

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