Billie Jean King was a well-known figure who was born on November 22, 194 and rose to become America’s former World No. 1 professional tennis player. She won a total of 39 Grand Slam titles and often competed for the United States in the Federation Cup and the Wightman Cup. She became more well-known as a member of the triumphant United States squad in seven Federation Cups and nine Wightman Cups. She has also served as the Federation Cup captain for the past three years.
She is also a proponent of gender equality, having won the Battle of the Sexes tennis match in 1973 against the 55-year-old Bobby Riggs. When she won that match, she was just 29 years old. Many of her peers consider her to be one of the best female tennis players of all time. She was also inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1987. She was also awarded the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018.
Despite a number of setbacks, she rose to prominence as a professional tennis player who is known around the world. Here are some of her quotes to inspire you:
“Everyone has people in their lives that are gay, lesbian or transgender or bisexual. They may not want to admit it, but I guarantee they know somebody.”― Billie Jean King
“Sports teaches you character, it teaches you to play by the rules, it teaches you to know what it feels like to win and lose-it teaches you about life.”― Billie Jean King
“Be bold. If you’re going to make an error, make a doozy, and don’t be afraid to hit the ball.”― Billie Jean King
“Victory is fleeting. Losing is forever.”― Billie Jean King
“It is very hard to be a female leader. While it is assumed that any man, no matter how tough, has a soft side… and female leader is assumed to be one-dimensional.”― Billie Jean King
“CHAMPIONS KEEP PLAYING UNTIL THEY GET IT RIGHT.”― BILLIE JEAN KING
“I think self-awareness is probably the most important thing towards being a champion.”― Billie Jean King
“Sports are a microcosm of society.”― Billie Jean King
I WANTED TO USE SPORTS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE.”― BILLIE JEAN KING
“It’s just really important that we start celebrating our differences. Let’s start tolerating first, but then we need to celebrate our differences.”― Billie Jean King
“A champion is afraid of losing. Everyone else is afraid of winning.”― Billie Jean King
“Men can have a huge turnover of sponsorship and still survive a lot better than the women. But the women’s ratings are better, at least at home in the United States than in the men’s tennis.”― Billie Jean King
“THERE IS NO LIFE FOR GIRLS IN TEAM SPORTS PAST LITTLE LEAGUE. I GOT INTO TENNIS WHEN I REALIZED THIS, AND BECAUSE I THOUGHT GOLF WOULD BE TOO SLOW FOR ME, AND I WAS TOO SCARED TO SWIM.”― BILLIE JEAN KING
“Ever since that day when I was 11 years old, and I wasn’t allowed in a photo because I wasn’t wearing a tennis skirt, I knew that I wanted to change the sport.”― Billie Jean King
“In 1973, a woman could not get a credit card without her husband or father or a male signing off on it.”― Billie Jean King
“It’s fun to meet people from throughout the world who you don’t have to explain yourself to.”― Billie Jean King
“I used to be told if I talked about my sexuality in any way that we wouldn’t have a tennis tour.”― Billie Jean King
“I like entrepreneurial people; I like people who take risks.”― Billie Jean King
“I would just never out anybody. I think everyone has to find it in their own way and their own time.”― Billie Jean King
“They’re not put on earth to be martyrs; they have to want to come out. It depends on your culture, where you work, where you live. Each person’s circumstances are unique.”― Billie Jean King
“NO ONE CHANGES THE WORLD WHO ISN’T OBSESSED.”― BILLIE JEAN KING
“That is where the power, opportunity, and choice come from-when you have money. Money equals opportunity. There is no question.”― Billie Jean King
“I will tell you King’s First Law of Recognition: You never get it when you want it, and then when it comes, you get too much.”― Billie Jean King
“A girl didn’t get an athletic scholarship until the fall of 1972 for the very first time.”― Billie Jean King
“I have a lot to say, and if I’m not No. 1, I can’t say it.”― Billie Jean King
“Any therapist will tell you that when you’re ready, you will come out. To be outed means you weren’t ready.”― Billie Jean King
“I always wanted to help make tennis a team sport.”― Billie Jean King
“I didn’t really care if I had a coach that much, me personally, because I was brought up to think for myself.”― Billie Jean King
I ALWAYS LIKED CO-ED EVENTS BEST SO WE HAVE TWO MEN AND TWO WOMEN ON EACH TEAM.”― BILLIE JEAN KING
“I like putting money back into what made my life, and tennis has been great to me.”― Billie Jean King
“I love to promote our sport. I love grass-roots tennis. I love coaching. I love all parts of the sport. I love the business side.”― Billie Jean King
“I think younger players probably just think they are who they are-they don’t think about coming out. Unless you’re number one in the world, nobody cares, usually.”― Billie Jean King
“I was always in the tennis business-from 1968. I was in tournaments and also on World Team Tennis teams as well.”― Billie Jean King
“In the seventies we had to make it acceptable for people to accept girls and women as athletes. We had to make it okay for them to be active. Those were much scarier times for females in sports.”― Billie Jean King
“Women get the attention when we get into the men’s arena, and that’s sad.”― Billie Jean King
“When we reach the point where the women athletes are getting their pick of dates just as easily as the men athletes, then we’ve really and truly arrived. Parity at last!”― Billie Jean King
