Young players have questions. At the US Open, Billie Jean King always has answers

NEW YORK (AP) — Life on the professional tennis tour can be challenging. Billie Jean King knows a thing or two about that — and she’s happy to share.

Two days before the start of singles competition the U.S. Open , King sat around a table in Arthur Ashe Stadium with 16 up-and-coming female players. Steps away from the tournament’s biggest court, the group shared stories, raised questions and listened to King’s advice.

It’s an annual meeting called the Billie Jean King Power Hour, and it’s been a behind-the-scenes staple in New York for 28 years for the trailblazer who secured equal pay for women at the U.S. Open in 1973 .

“My job is to pay attention and try to figure out: What do they need? What do they want? What’s going to help them and their lives — for their lives, not just tennis,”