Billie Jean King would love to head to the tennis court at the White House after she receives the Medal of Freedom. But the tennis great hasn't hit balls for nearly a year and needs two knee replacements before she can play again. King is among 16 honorees who will receive the Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama on Aug.

Billie Jean King would love to head to the tennis court at the White House after she receives the Medal of Freedom. But the tennis great hasn't hit balls for nearly a year and needs two knee replacements before she can play again. King is among 16 honorees who will receive the Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama on Aug.

President Barack Obama will award the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 16 people, including political ally Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, tennis legend Billie Jean King and Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa. The White House announced the list of recipients Thursday. The medals are the first to be awarded by Obama and they represent the country's highest honor for a civilian.

Roger Federer reportedly wants to play in Switzerland's Davis Cup playoff against Italy in September. Severin Luethi, part of Federer's coaching team, said the top-ranked player told him in May and again at Wimbledon that he intended to play in Italy. "Nothing is definite yet, but there's a good chance that our best players will be there," said Luethi in Wednesday's...

French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova has pulled out of next week's L.A. Women's Tennis Championships due to a foot injury. The hard-court tournament, to be held from Aug. 3-9, announced Kuznetsova's withdrawal on Tuesday. She also missed the event last year. The fifth-ranked Kuznetsova's departure still leaves 10 of the world's top 15 women in the field, including No.

Former top-10 player Tim Mayotte has been hired as a U.S. Tennis Association national coach. Mayotte will be based in Boca Raton, Fla., and work with players in the USTA player development program. He is one of 17 national coaches. Mayotte played professionally from 1980-90, reaching the semifinals at Wimbledon in 1982 and the Australian Open in 1981.

The Washington Kastles have won their first World TeamTennis Pro League championship, beating the Springfield Lasers 23-20 on Sunday night. The Kastles were led by Leander Paes, the league's male MVP, who teamed with Scott Oudsema to win the men's doubles and with Rennae Stubbs to win the mixed doubles.

Robby Ginepri didn't exceed his expectations by winning the Indianapolis Tennis Championships simply because he didn't have any. The unseeded Ginepri, ranked No. 95 in the ATP rankings, won his third career singles title on Sunday by upsetting No. 3 seed and fellow American Sam Querrey, 6-2, 6-4, in the final of the Indianapolis Tennis Championships.

Defending Bank of the West Classic champion Aleksandra Wozniak came out of the qualifying tournament to win her first career WTA Tour title last year. She's in the main draw this year but has the likes of Wimbledon champion Serena Williams and former Grand Slam champion Venus Williams in her path this year.

Roger Federer is playing a different kind of doubles. Tennis' top-ranked player became a father for the first time when his wife, Mirka, gave birth to twin girls Thursday. "I have some exciting news to share with you," Federer said on his Web site and Facebook page. "Late last night, in Switzerland, Mirka and I became proud parents of twin girls." They are named Charlene Riva...

John McEnroe's World TeamTennis club has been fined for what the league called "unprofessional conduct" by him and other players at a match last week. During the men's doubles match between McEnroe's New York Sportimes and the Washington Kastles on July 16, a shot by Washington's Leander Paes hit New York's Robert Kendrick.

Maria Sharapova declared her surgically repaired right shoulder fully healed and that she was ready to return to the court for the first time since a disappointing performance at Wimbledon. "I am a hundred percent," Sharapova said Wednesday night before making an appearance for the Newport Beach Breakers in their World Team Tennis match against Kansas City.

Five-time defending champion Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Roddick are among eight Grand Slam winners leading the men's field for the U.S. Open. All top 100 men in the rankings received direct entry Wednesday into the hard-court tournament, played Aug. 31 to Sept. 13 in New York. Federer will be trying to become the first man since Bill Tilden in the 1920s to win the American Grand Slam...