LONDON (AP) – Billie Jean King believes Wimbledon finalists Petra Kvitova and Eugenie Bouchard are creating one of the most exciting times in women’s tennis in decades.
King ought to know. She helped start the Women’s Tennis Association more than 40 years ago.
The 24-year-old Kvitova of the Czech Republic won the 2011 Wimbledon title. She’ll face the 20-year-old Bouchard. , who will be playing in her – and Canada’s – first Grand Slam final on Saturday.
They’re from a generation of fitter and stronger players who have “closed the gap on power and belief” with their older contemporaries, King said at a news conference during Wimbledon.
“They have definitely caught up,” King said. “Women have more confidence overall, Serena (Williams) is not in the same place as she was, she’s a little more vulnerable.