Billie Jean King: Legend on the tennis court and off of it
Billie Jean King is a tennis legend who made an unforgettable mark on the sport. When she retired in 1975, she won 12 Grand Slams, the third-most out of any gender at the time. But King's impact on tennis goes beyond her impressive record. Not only was she an incredible athlete, but she also used her platform to fight for social justice and gender equality.
In 1973, she famously defeated Bobby Riggs in the "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match, a pivotal point in the fight for gender equality. The match was widely publicized and watched by millions, and King's victory helped change the perception of women's sports and abilities.
King was also a vocal advocate for LGBT rights and came out as a lesbian in 1981. She has been a tireless advocate for social justice and equality throughout her life.
Today, King's legacy continues to inspire young athletes and activists worldwide. She showed that it is possible to be both a champion and an agent of change, and her impact on the sport of tennis and the fight for equality will not be forgotten.
Quotes
Ever since that day when I was 11 years old, and I wasn’t allowed in a photo because I wasn’t wearing a tennis skirt, I knew that I wanted to change the sport.
Billie Jean King
I think you have to see it to be it. Althea Gibson was the first woman of colour to ever win a major. In ’56, she won the French, ’57 and ’58, she won Wimbledon. I got to see her as a 13-year-old and she changed my world because I knew what it looked like to be No 1. She inspired me more than ever.
Billie Jean King
That’s what you have to do, be ahead of your time. Be ahead!
Billie Jean King
Related Media
Battle of the Sexes
A movie that is based on the tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs in 1973.
References
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Bobby Riggs said he could beat the top women’s tennis players. 50 years ago today, he got his chance
It’s been 50 years since the most-watched tennis match in history took place between female sports icon Billie Jean King and former men’s world No. 1 and self-proclaimed male chauvinist Bobby Riggs. An estimated 90 million TV viewers worldwide tuned into the so-called “Battle of the Sexes” between King and Riggs on September 20, 1973. Here’s a look back at the historic event.
CNN
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May 1, 1981: The day Billie Jean King publicly came out as gay
On May 1, 1981, Billie Jean King, driven by circumstances, became the first prominent professional female athlete to publicly come out about her homosexuality.
Tennis Majors
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Fifty Years After Title IX, a Look at Billie Jean King’s Activism
Tennis legend Billie Jean King has done more than any other athlete to make the promise of Title IX a reality.
MS Magazine
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Billie Jean King: ‘Be ahead of your time – that’s what you have to do’
Hard talk and hard questions seem to be what King thrives on. Still, she isn’t sure quite why she has spent much of her life trying to change the world. “I don’t know. I’ve always been this way, since I was a kid. It’s just, do you want to build goodness and a better world, or do you want to tear it down? You decide.”
The Guardian
