Petkovic, 34, told the sportschau.de portal of broadcasters ARD that the former American great King is “like an ancestor because of whom I am playing the game.

“Without her there be no professional women’s sport in the way it exists now. All this because of her assertiveness and the willingness to take risks,” she said.

King helped set up the women’s WTA Tour and was a key figure towards women getting the same prize money as the men at big events. The women’s team event formerly known as the Fed Cup has been named after her, with Petkovic part of the German team in Prague this week.

Former top-10 player Petkovic however also said that the women’s fight is continuing.

“After games us women still get provocative comments in social media. I doubt that is the case on the men’s tour. Our outfits are discussed, and how we wear our hair,” she said.

Looking at tournaments, she added: “When it rained for two days at the French Open two years ago the women’s semi-finals were played on small courts while the men played on the big ones. The latent sexism still shows.

“We have come a long way but we still have a long way ahead of us,” Petkovic said.