10 questions · Society & Everyday
Billie Jean King is born in California in 1943 and becomes one of the best tennis players of her time. She wins numerous Grand Slam titles and dominates women's tennis for many years. But her greatest significance lies beyond sport alone: King becomes a tireless campaigner for women's equality. In the early 1970s, women tennis players earn a fraction of what their male colleagues receive. King fights vehemently for equal prize money and even threatens a boycott. In 1973 she brings about the US Open becoming the first major tournament to pay men and women the same prize money. That same year she is a driving force behind the founding of a women's professional tennis tour of their own. World-famous in 1973 is the "Battle of the Sexes": the former top player Bobby Riggs loudly claims that even in his fifties he can beat any woman. Before a television audience of millions, King challenges him and wins decisively. Her victory becomes a symbol that women in sport must be taken seriously. Billie Jean King later comes out openly as gay and becomes an important voice for the rights of queer people. To this day she campaigns for equal opportunity in sport and society. The large tennis stadium complex of the US Open is named after her: an honour for a woman who changed the sport and far beyond.
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Battle of the Sexes
Riggs had claimed that in his fifties he could beat any woman: King beat him decisively.
💡 Did you know? Before some 90 million TV viewers, King in 1973 beat the boastful ex-champion Bobby Riggs: a win with symbolic power for equality.
equal prize money
King fought for women in tennis to earn the same prize money as men: the US Open introduced it in 1973 as the first Grand Slam to do so.
💡 Did you know? In 1973 the US Open became the first major tournament to pay both sexes the same prize money.
tennis
She won numerous Grand Slam titles and dominated women's tennis for years.
💡 Did you know? King won 39 Grand Slam titles and was at the top of world tennis for years.
founding a women's tennis tour
She thereby created an independent structure for women's professional tennis.
💡 Did you know? In 1973 King was the driving force behind the Women's Tennis Association: still the governing body of women's professional tennis.
rights of queer people
After her forced coming-out, King became one of the most prominent campaigners for the rights of queer people.
💡 Did you know? She came out openly as gay and became an important voice for it.
the US Open tennis complex
An honour for her impact on sport and society.
💡 Did you know? The US Open grounds in New York have been named the „Billie Jean King National Tennis Center“ since 2006.
USA
She was born in California in 1943.
💡 Did you know? King was one of the first sportswomen to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest US civilian honour.
Foto: Claire Fridkin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King (b. 1943) is an American tennis legend and activist who fought for equal rights and equal prize money for women.
💡 Did you know? Her victory in the 1973 „Battle of the Sexes“ against Bobby Riggs is seen as a milestone for equality in sport.
1943
Born: 22 November 1943 in Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California
Born: 22 November 1943 in Long Beach, California
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