Younger sister Serena never got the chance. Nor did Ana Ivanovic or Jelena Jankovic before Monday night, when the four stars took to the court in an exhibition for the Billie Jean King Cup.
“With having so many wonderful sporting events there, growing up, watching everyone from Billie Jean King, to Martina Navratilova, Steffi Graf, Monica Seles, just winning there, it’s just a great opportunity for me to have an opportunity to play there, as well,” Serena Williams said.
Venus Williams and Jankovic faced off in the first one-set semifinal, with Serena Williams and Ivanovic playing next. The winner of the three-set final receives $400,000.
Former President Bill Clinton was scheduled to participate in a ceremony honoring King.
“I’m so excited about playing in Madison Square Garden,” Jankovic said. “It’s an honor for me to be a part of the event. Billie Jean King has done so much for the game. She’s really a true legend in the sport. I think this is a really great tribute to her.”
King, the founder of the Women’s Tennis Association, was still upset about the visa troubles at the Dubai tournament two weeks ago and adamant the tour won’t return there next year if the problem recurs. Shahar Peer of Israel was denied a visa to play in Dubai, with the government citing security concerns.
“Believe me, it will never happen again,” King told The Associated Press. “We won’t be there, I can guarantee you that. Our sport has to set an example of freedom and equality.”
The WTA fined the tournament a record $300,000, and Dubai officials later allowed Israel’s Andy Ram to play in the men’s tournament the following week. Officials had said they feared fan anger over Israel’s recent military offensive in the Gaza Strip.
Venus Williams was optimistic there would be no visa issues next year.
“I think everything was resolved,” Williams said Monday. “Unless there’s further issues, I think it’s all been resolved and we’ll be fine next year.”
Williams won the Dubai tournament on Feb. 21 and addressed the controversy during the trophy presentation, saying she’d return to defend her title next year if everyone was given an equal chance to play.
“As players, we all support each other,” she said. “Of course, we were very supportive of Peer.”
King said the WTA was “blind-sided” and learned at the press conference announcing the draw that Peer wouldn’t be competing in the tournament.
“They threw a curve at the last second,” King said. “They’ve promised that she’ll be all right next year. But we’ll see.”
The Garden hosted the WTA season-ending championships every year but one from 1977-2000. The event then hopscotched around the world to Munich, Los Angeles and Madrid before landing last year in Doha, Qatar, where it will be held through 2010.
“I hope it blossoms into an annual event,” HBO Sports president Ross Greenburg said of Monday night’s competition, which aired on his network. “If you can get Grand Slam champions showing up at Madison Square Garden every year, why not?”
The Williams sisters will continue their boycott of the tournament at Indian Wells, Calif., one of the mandatory events on the WTA schedule. In 2001, Venus defaulted with a knee injury before a semifinal match against Serena and they were booed by the crowd. They’ve skipped the tournament the last seven years.
King is among a group of investors at Indian Wells, along with Chris Evert, Greg Norman, Pete Sampras and others. She isn’t expecting the Williams sisters to play in the March 11-22 tournament in their home state.
“I’d love them to play if it was in their hearts to play,” King said. “I totally understand why they don’t. I’d like them to forgive, so they can move on, whether they play in the tournament or not.”
BNP Paribas is sponsoring the Billie Jean King Cup. StarGames, which brought the sold-out Pete Sampras-Roger Federer exhibition match to the Garden last March, is producing the event.
The tournament is part of “Tennis Night in America,” an effort by the U.S. Tennis Association to get youth registered for the sport. More than 750 tennis and community centers are signing up kids for spring and summer leagues, the USTA said.
Also on NBCSports.com
NFL: Winners, losers so far in free agency
NBA: The six degrees of Carlos Boozer
Baseball: Team USA looking for WBC redemption
College basketball: Here's our top 16 seeds
NHL: Team-by-team look at trade deadline
Clinton to join King for tennis at Garden
Clinton to join King for tennis at Garden
Guti reveals quit date
