It All Began With Pizza – Billie Jean King Revisits Memorable First Meeting With Venus And Serena Williams

Tennis legends Billie Jean King and the Williams sisters are known for being advocates of women’s rights. Their impact on the court has always been as strong as their advocacy for equality. Their courage, fortitude, and commitment led them to become inspirational figures in the tennis world. Talking about fighting for equality, Serena Williams once said, “The day I stop fighting for equality and for people that look like you and me will be the day I’m in my grave.”

Owing to a vast similarity in their common ambition on and off the court, King once said, “When Serena steps away from tennis, she will leave as the sport’s greatest player.” Today, they are celebrated as the G.O.A.T.s of the tennis world, but when was the first time they crossed paths with each other?

Billie Jean King first met the Williams sisters at a Domino’s Pizza World Team Tennis clinic in Long Beach in 1988. At that time, Venus Williams was eight years old, and Serena Williams was just seven.

Highlighting the moment of her early meetings with these two sensational talents, King recently shared a picture on her X handle with the caption, “On April 30, 1988, 37 years ago today, I first met @Venuseswilliams and @serenawilliams at a Domino’s Pizza @WorldTeamTennis clinic in Long Beach, CA. They were as impressive then as they are now. 📷: Carol Newsom, taken at our second meeting, 1992, with Rosie Casals.“

However, this wasn’t the first time that we’ve seen her sharing her thoughts about her early meetings with Venus and Serena Williams. In May 2022, she shared a picture of the Williams sisters during her second meeting with them (4 years after her first one) with the caption, “They were as impressive then as they are now.“

Billie Jean King has always been someone who has been a huge admirer of Serena Williams. In another interview in 2022, she spoke about how, irrespective of generations, Williams has always managed to find love and respect for herself. “She’s got that magic that draws people in. And she thrives on the crowd.”

According to her, Serena Williams has “changed how tennis is played, she has pushed the other players to improve.” But what does Williams have to say about King’s invaluable contributions on and off the court?

Serena Williams gives credit to Billie Jean King for elevating tennis to prominence

Billie Jean King was the key figure behind the creation of the Women’s Tennis Association in 1973. From demanding equal prize money to securing a historic win against Bobby Riggs at the ‘Battle of the Sexes,’ King has shattered the antiquated notions of gender superiority in multiple ways. Talking about her heroics on the court, King has won 39 Grand Slam titles in her career. Her massive role in revolutionizing sports through her on and off-court pursuits has made her a perfect inspirational figure in the tennis world.

Speaking about King in an interview with Vanity Fair in July 2024, Serena Williams said, “We had Billie Jean King, and not every sport had that. I think I would be remiss not to say that because Billie did so much for women’s tennis and put it on the map. I don’t think other sports necessarily had that person, that one person, but now they have media; now they have a lot of people. But I think we were so fortunate to have that.“

Owing to her massive contributions to the sport and society, Billie Jean King was celebrated in a ceremony on Hollywood Boulevard. With this, she added yet another feather to her cap by becoming the first woman to receive a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame’s newly created Sports Entertainment category.

Other than that, King was also recently honored at the Junior Tennis Champions Center (JTCC) in College Park, Maryland. King will now also hold a special tennis clinic with children who train at the JTCC. This 81-year-old tennis legend never fails to impress her fans, doesn’t she? Her love and hunger to improve the sport are truly unparalleled!