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Billie Jean King calls for Wimbledon organizers to make changes to one long-standing significant tradition
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

WTA icon and tennis trailblazer Billie Jean King is one of the millions of fans who has eyes set on the ongoing Wimbledon Championships. However, the former World No.1 would like to see a few changes made to the annual Grand Slam event.

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz will be looking to retain his title and win a third consecutive SW19 trophy in the process. On the women's side, World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka hopes to cement her name in the history books as a winner of the prestigious grass court Grand Slam trophy.

Billie Jean King would like to see a change in attire

The 12-time Grand Slam singles titlist won six of her Major trophies at Wimbledon. Speaking to The Telegraph prior to the tournament's commencement, King gave her thoughts on the Wimbledon organizers making certain changes in order to enhance the viewing experience.

“There’s a match that comes on, you sit down, and you look – let’s say it’s television – who’s who?" began King. “Tennis people say: ‘Well, the mark is next to their name’ [to indicate who is serving]. I shouldn’t have to look at a mark, I shouldn’t have to look at anything. I should know [who’s who]. My sport drives me nuts.
"Of course referring to the all-white dress code, she added: “But they shouldn’t have the same uniforms on. They both have white on. You can change tradition."

The retired American's call for a dress change has caused division among fans, with some preferring to stick to tradition. However, Wimbledon has been more open to change in the recent years, with the Grand Slam tournament ending a 147-year tradition this year when they abolished line judges and introduced electronic line calling.

This article first appeared on TennisUpToDate.com and was syndicated with permission.

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