Tennis Legend Billie Jean King to Attend ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Final

Former tennis player Billie Jean King has thrown her support behind the ambition of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020.

King will be at the final on Sunday (8 March) to be part of the opportunity to set a new record for attendance at a women’s sporting fixture. The current record of 90,185 was set at the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup final held at the Rose Bowl in the USA.

The former women’s world number one and winner of 39 Grand Slam titles is a global leader and champion for diversity and inclusion.



“It is an honour to be part of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup and the International Women’s Day celebrations planned in Melbourne,” said King.

“This year, as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Original 9 and the birth of women’s professional tennis, and what we did to change tennis and all sports, we hope to bring that same vision for equality, opportunity and acceptance to the World Cup this March.”

“We are absolutely thrilled that Billie Jean King, the global pioneer in equality through sport, will be joining us for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final,” ICC T20 World Cup 2020 Local Organising Committee CEO, Nick Hockley said.

“We thank Billie Jean for her inspirational leadership as we countdown to what we hope will be a fantastic celebration that helps accelerate the current momentum in the development of cricket and all sports for women and girls.”

King was recently named on top of the list of ‘Women Who Changed the World in the Last Century’ by Newsweek magazine.

In addition to attending the final, King will headline a special International Women’s Day event on Friday (6 March), also in Melbourne, as the keynote speaker at the Change Our Game Lunch.

The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 commences on Friday (21 February) and will involve 10 teams playing 23 matches across Australia, culminating in the final at the MCG.