Billie Jean King is one of the most iconic figures in tennis. Her role in getting women’s tennis equal recognition with that of men’s is immense. Without her, women’s tennis would be in a very different place than what it is today. 

At nearly 80 years old, the social activist and former world number one remains committed to making tennis more inclusive. To fight for equality in the sport that she dominated, King once battled a former star in men’s tennis on the court.

Billie Jean King vs Bobby Riggs in the ‘Battle of sexes’

In 1973, when she played against Bobby Riggs, the match was infamously dubbed the ‘Battle of the Sexes’. In the ’60s, Billie Jean King was the best women’s tennis player in the world, but she didn’t earn as much as men were doing at that time.

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In a throwback interview, when asked about Bobby Riggs from the 1973 game. She answered, “I think he knew nothing about me, I knew a lot about him, but dominant groups know nothing about subdominant groups. This guy finally was getting some attention that he probably deserved a lot younger in life.”

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“I did call him that. I said you’re a j*rk or you’re a cr**p or something and he got upset with me, but I was just scared to death. If I lost, we may lose everything we’d fought for and we just were getting started,” she exclaimed. According to King, it was hard at that time to see the disparity in pay between men and women players.

King’s legendary tennis career

In her nearly 30-year career, Billie Jean King became the first female player to win 39 Grand Slam titles. The American dominated the sport in the 60s and 70s, succeeding in all formats. A former world no.1, King has won numerous titles during her illustrious career. She has won a total of 39 titles, including 12  singles, 16 women’s doubles, and 11 mixed doubles. 

Watch this story – Billie Jean King sends a heartfelt message to Serena after the retirement announcement.

Additionally, the American Legend has been a tireless campaigner for equality for women in sports throughout and beyond her professional career. A social activist, King, advocated the passage of Title IX in 1972, which prohibited discrimination based on gender in all state school programs, including physical education.