Coco Gauff and Billie Jean King discuss Wheaties Boxes at US Open

[Applause] and I'm excited to also announce and welcome our moderator for today's discussion Emmy award-winning journalist Michelle U all right Michelle thank you so much guys do you know what's happening Billy Jean King and Coco in the house Billy Jean this is your house so thank you so much for here yes it is welcome Coco golf defending Champion here thank you so much I'm so excited as you can see uh Billy CCO I'm going to start with you know this question is for the both of you uh what does it mean Philly to see this iconic weedies box have your face on it and then you're passing the Baton and now Coco you see yours well it's so much fun because we're before and after um or now I should say not after I'm still here I'm for you're now and um I have a huge history with wheedies I go back to my childhood and I used to walk into the dining room every day like like this because i' say breakfast the champions my mom and dad my younger brother by the way he was a played Major League Baseball for 12 years Randy mofet no do yes go Dodgers that's very good anyway I lived with weedies and also the minister of my church Reverend Bob Richards who was won the gold medal in 52 and 56 of the Olympics he um was a pole ball Champion but he was a minister of my church so you can imagine the sermons I got every Sunday you think you could do anything after listening to Reverend Bob Richards in fact you can still hear his motivational speeches on YouTube and other things if you want to listen but I thought I could do anything after that so um and also Lou garri was on the front of uh the Box first in 1934 he played for the Yankees I see a Yankee cap out here so anyway there's a lot of history babe derson was on lot you know this has been going on for many many years so it's so thrilling to be able to pass the Baton the weedies box to the younger generation and who I adore and think just so unbelievable because not just what she does on the court but what she does off the court she cares about social justice so do I so congratulations in everyone we winning last year good luck this year thank you and go for it thank you FCO we love you so much here in New York City and all around the world what was your reaction when you saw your face on that wedy box oh it was like kind of crazy um I wasn't expecting um it at all and then obviously following Billy for all that you've done for the sport and for me on and off the court it's incredible to be able to follow you and yeah I'm really excited obviously weedies is so iconic as Billy said so many iconic people have been on the box and it just feels weird to see my face on it now Billy what does it mean for the sport of tennis to see the both of you be on the ledies Box in just a short span of time tennis has really been on the spotlight I mean just look a Coco at the Olympics being the flag bearer with LeBron James you Banks you Banks thank you right yeah I know right he's a nice guy it's just so meaningful because tennis I don't know if you know this but we're um the the the healthiest sport in the world is tennis they've done research on it we live almost 10 years longer than average so play ten I mean look how good Billy looks I feel great and I do still hit tennis balls does makes a big difference but I think they have two tennis players uh women's tennis is a leader in women's sports I don't know if you know that we had equal prize money in 1973 Miss Billy JY no I was terrible in 72 I said we're not coming back unless we got equal par she stood on bus and and then I went and talk words but then I talked to them and I said I think I got us in trouble I usually talk to them first I didn't this time but oh the important thing is I went and got a sponsor because I understood what they needed it's about money so we went and got a sponsor and that's why we had equal prize money in 73 but we've had equal prize money since coko got a what is a $3 million check last year I did I did get a nice check last year love it and so did jokovic right yes but we were they were the same right that's how important equality in our world in every way what does it mean to you to to be representing tennis the way that it is being represented right now yeah as Billy said tennis has been the leading sport in women's sports and it's great to see other sports starting to follow um the same way with the rise of women's soccer and women's basketball and hopefully tennis can continue to be a pioneer of that and yeah I think I just try to use do what my best to use the platform that I have to continue to push the causes that I care about and causes that I think really would make the world a better place Billy we are sitting here at your name sake Stadium when you look around you when you look at the tennis community you look at all the things you have tried to Advocate throughout the years what are you most proud of I have no idea I don't think about that all I think about is the future how can we make it better for everyone like you said better make this world a better place that's since I've been 12 years old that's all I've thought about is change the sport be inclusive welcome everyone uh I think you're a perfect example of people standing here and how much we appreciate you being here uh because without you we have nothing I mean have you ever thought about walking out on the Arthur stadium and nobody's in the stands that wouldn't be too much fun it did it during Co it was awful it was right yes it was horrible they wouldn't even let us come out during Co I was so upset my first year I missed since 1959 was not happy but uh it's just so much fun you know we really athletes are entertainers but what we've been given is a platform that very few people have in a lifetime and so I just hope that each and every player understands that anyway has an opportunity to help in their Hometown or their Village or whatever they're from because remember tennis is a totally Global sport it's all over the world so it's uh we're really fortunate and C how fortunate are you to be able you and the other young women nowadays to kind of reap the benefits now of all the things that women like Billy Rosie cassels all the the female players before you have tried to pave away for the moment that you guys are living yeah I'm super grateful and you know I always talk about that every time I get a chance just for what you guys done because I have I look at other sports and they're you know not even but just now starting the process to getting to where tennis is so hopefully tennis can continue to be the leader of that and hopefully you know my generation doesn't take for granted um what we have and it is a privilege I'm very uh I'm very aware of the privilege that I have of just being in this Sport and being successful at it um so yeah for my thing I just try to use what I have to make it better for other other people and not just in tennis but all areas of the world and um at the end of the day I strongly believe sport brings everyone together I mean look at this crowd you guys all look different I'm sure you guys all believe different things but you're all here supporting two people within this sport so I think that um athletes in general are in a very um unique position whereas you know I feel like entertainers things are different but everybody just loves sports and if anything the Olympics taught me that being around the other athletes in the village and I didn't know who this person was but they were representing USA so I was cheering for them so I think everybody can agree and I just hope that um you know athletes in general and people like me continue to know our platform and use it because we can reach so many audiences and being a tennis I got to learn about so many cultures that I never would have gotten the chance to if I didn't play this sport so I'm grateful for and I'm grateful for you guys for coming out today and finally Coco you are the defending Champion here at the US Open yes you are are there different Vibes coming back this year knowing that what you accomplished of last um yes and no I mean obviously there's you know you want to do it again but at the end of the day I mean it's a tournament and last year I had the same I feel like a different pressure of just trying to win one as a teenager now there's a different one of trying to defend but at the end of the day I mean I'm going to be back here next year I'm going to be back here for many more years so I'm going to obviously the goal is to win um but uh over the last week I had a lot of perspective and I don't want to go into this tournament not enjoying you know being the defending champion in in the US so and at my home tournament so I think I'm really just going into this week as to enjoy it as much as possible and um you know if I win great if not great I'll just go back to building and becoming a better player it doesn't matter we'll be cheering for you no matter what Coco go we're in good hands I mean I think you getting to listen to Coco today and other times we see how lucky we are to have coko in our Sport and how lucky we are to have her in this world and I just want to wish you all the best and you have such unbelievable perspective at such a young age so uh I wish you the best for you your life and your family's life and uh say hi to everybody and grandmother's such a force I love Ivon say Hi and um no she's a force that's I'm going to tell you that I just but I want to thank you for all you've done so far at such a young age and I look forward to watching you evolve in as you get older and all the contributions you're going to make not only I hope to yourself but to the rest of the world so thank you Koko thank you also I appreciate thank you both a Hall of Famer to a future Hall of Famer we are passing the Baton right now and you guys are about to witness history because Billy Jean King and Coco golf are going to head out to the mini court on my left and they're going to seriously pass on the Baton hit a little bit and no hit hit it hit is very okay we're going to Passat the Baton for sure hitting but we're going to have fun still have it I have it Billy practices almost every day on the yes I seen you on the Endor well you you see what I send out yeah but you yeah it makes me look good never mind by the way it'll be one wedi Champion to another one breakf the champion and COC all right guys thank you everyone bless you and I just want to say joining uh them our youth from local chapters let's give it up for the national junior tennis and learn