Philadelphia Freedoms (1974)
November 12, 2019
The Philadelphia Freedoms were the showcase franchise of World Team Tennis when the co-ed tennis promotion debuted in the spring of 1974. The team’s calling card was 31-year old Billie Jean King. The 10-time Grand Slam singles champion and league co-founder was riding a wave of notoriety following her “Battle of the Sexes” exhibition victory over Bobby Riggs the previous fall, a made-for-TV spectacle that drew a U.S. broadcast audience of 50 million people. Elton John’s 1975 hit single “Philadelphia Freedom” was named in honor of the team and his friend King, but by the time it was released, the Freedoms were kaput after just one season of play.
