Back in 1973, no one thought that the battle WTA stalwart Billie Jean King had taken up could bear some fruitful results. But the sheer resilience of one woman pioneered the journey for equal pay. This year, the champions will be paid $3 million each, irrespective of gender. Looking back upon that monumental move, former First Lady Michelle Obama has now come forward to praise King. However, this time it was not just about women’s tennis but the feminist moment in general.

Undoubtedly, the legendary move of making equal pay a reality at the US Open paved the way for the equality of women’s tennis. But Michelle Obama dives deeper into the underlying values of this significant move.

Michelle Obama looks beyond the financial benefit of Billie Jean King’s equal pay battle

The US Open celebrated the 50-year-anniversary of making equal pay in tennis a reality. It was the sheer resilience and will of Billie Jean King that eventually led to this significant move. King took the huge step of playing against Bobby Riggs in the historical ‘Battle of Sexes’. By taking him down, she established the legacy of women’s tennis.

Remembering and paying ode to the undeniable contribution of the tennis legend, the former First Lady, Michelle Obama, hailed American tennis legend. She recently spoke about how the world changed after King’s contribution.

During the fifty-year celebration of equal pay at the US Open, Obama said, “Let us remember that all of this is far bigger than a champion’s paycheck.” She talked about how it goes deeper than the financial benefits that women are seeking.

She added, “Sadly, we have seen how quickly progress like this can be taken away if we are not mindful and vigilant if we do not keep remembering, advocating, organizing, speaking out, and, yes, voting!”

Furthermore, she talked about what Billie Jean King symbolizes- initiative with resilience. She added, “Billie Jean teaches us that when our rights hang in the balance, we all have a choice to make.”

She gave two alternatives- either to sit back and accept or hope for someone else to fight their battle. But there is also the third alternative that King went for and Obama talked about it. She stated, “Or, we can make our own stand.”

Reminding how this constant reminder of the achievements can pave the way for the future generation take up meaningful initiatives, Obama hailed King. She stated, “We can use whatever platforms we have to speak out and fight to protect the progress we’ve made and level the playing field for our daughters and their daughters.”

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King led players like Venus Williams to continue the same battle after her. However, Williams has some contradicting views of Obama.

Venus Williams on the role of money

The seven-time Grand Slam champion took the baton of responsibility after Billie Jean King led the fight for equal pay. It was she who made it possible to make equal pay a reality at Wimbledon.

In an interview with the American Banker, she shed light on why it is about money. She stated that money enables women to make a change. It lets them be equals and hence it is important for every organization to make things equal for everyone.

Do you agree with Williams’ point of view? Let us know your take in the comments below.

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