Billie Jean King, a name synonymous with tennis and women’s rights, continues to inspire generations despite her illustrious career in sports. The 81-year-old tennis legend dropped out of school to pursue her dream of becoming the world’s best tennis player. Her impact goes far beyond what she’s done on the court. She founded, along with other women players, the Women’s Tennis Association. Since then, she’s worked tirelessly and passionately to fight for equal pay in a sport that has long overlooked, underappreciated, and undervalued its female athletes.
Her incredible legacy features an otherworldly 39 Grand Slam titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles. Her accomplishments reach well beyond the tennis court. For her lifelong work toward equality and social justice, she has already been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. In honor of her contributions to the formation of the pro women’s tennis tour, the Women’s Federation Cup is now named after her.
At 81, King has taken the plunge into the academic world. She recently went back to school at California State University, Los Angeles to pursue an undergraduate degree in history and is on track to graduate in May 2024. Because of her extensive travel schedule, she takes classes remotely and online. Even so, she has become the icon of hope for marginalized communities. “I’m just very thankful every single day I’ve had this life,” King expressed, reflecting on her journey.
For most of her tennis career, King endured these great differences in compensation. She recalled, “I used to make $18 a day when I was winning Wimbledon. Now they’re making millions.” Her fight for equal pay has indeed ignited a movement within the sport. Today’s women athletes can only flourish because of the foundation built in the 1970s. They do better in terms of earnings than the previous generations.
Beyond her legacy in tennis, King was a significant figure behind the scenes in pushing the new Professional Women’s Hockey League to launch in 2024. Her ownership stake in a team within the league underscores her commitment to supporting women in sports across different disciplines. “We have billionaires who want to invest in us, and that is huge,” she stated. “So I think women’s professional sports is going to keep going forward.”
Her support for the women’s empowerment movement shines through in her assertion that we need to raise girls who are taught to think they can do anything. “I think it’s really important for women to believe in themselves. We’re not taught to believe in ourselves as much as boys,” she noted. This optimism is a testament to her lifelong cause to advocate for fairness and empower women of all backgrounds to thrive both professionally and personally.
As she approaches her 82nd birthday on November 22, King remains an active participant in discussions surrounding gender equity and sports. Her view on societal expectations is clear: “I think boys have been socialized to be brave… and girls are taught to be perfect. No one’s perfect all the time.” This viewpoint is very appealing to those folks who are just trying to create some work/life balance.
King’s contributions haven’t escaped notice — over the years, she has inspired thousands of other women to follow in her footsteps and shatter their own barriers. “Be good to each other and be thoughtful,” she advises. “Make sure you tell people you see them, you know, ‘I see you, I see you.’”
Leave a Reply