“Zina [Garrison, the 1990 Wimbledon finalist] and I were the coaches then and we really did help them. We taught Serena all about her sliced backhand. And the first time she won here at the Open [in 1999] was the first time she’s played Fed Cup just before. She won the match on two sliced backhands in the tie-break at the end with [Martina] Hingis. I’ll never forget Zina running up to me, crying after the match and saying: 'We helped her win!’” Now 70, King is still dynamic and razor-sharp; a woman who has already given an incalculable amount to sport, and to the cause of gender equality, yet continues to fight for what she believes in. This December, she will bring the Mylan World Team Tennis Smash Hits team to the Albert Hall for a fund-raising day, co-hosted by Elton John, in aid of HIV research.