100 of the Most Influential Women in Sport >> Personalities

Billie Jean King, USA

Tennis

Whenever there is an equality, social justice, or any manner of ethical issue within the sport of tennis and beyond, Billie Jean King is never far away from the microphone. And with good reason, too. Since ascending to stardom in the 1960s, King has used her platform to fight what she believes is right, and on many points society has caught up – indeed aligned – with her way of thinking. The Women’s Tennis Association would likely not have existed as we know it if the 12-time major champion had not been the driving force behind the organisation of the body in 1973. The Women’s Sports Foundation, that both empowers and salutes females in sport, has also been a cornerstone of her influence for nearly half a century. There has been no discernible let-up in King’s activism even as she approaches her 76th year. In 2019 alone she has been in the news for protecting the public boundaries of New York’s Theodore Roosevelt Park, thrown her weight behind South African runner Caster Semenya’s appeal against the IAAF to compete without taking testosterone inhibitors, and her continued support for the Fed Cup. These messages would not be so loud and clear if not for her efforts to remain so visible to younger generations through social media. Nearly half a million people follow the Californian on Twitter and she also maintains a strong presence on Instagram; a true senior stateswoman for the digital age.

– King still describes her 1970s ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match with former Wimbledon and US Open champion Bobby Riggs as the most important moment in her life. A movie based on the event – that was watched by 90 million worldwide – was released in 2017 starring Emma Stone and Steve Carell.

– In 2009 she was honoured by then US president Barack Obama with the Medal of Freedom.

– Bestselling author Brad Meltzer has devised a picture book called ‘I Am Billie Jean King’ documenting her life for a young audience, which was published in February this year

– King is a keen baseball fan and became a minority owner of Los Angeles Dodgers in 2018.

– Last year, she became the second American after swimmer Michael Phelps to be presented with BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award.

Did you know…

How is this for irony – at age 11, King’s parents encouraged her give up softball for tennis because, in their eyes, it was a more ‘ladylike’ sport.

“I was daydreaming about my little tiny universe of tennis, and I thought to myself: ‘Everybody’s wearing white shoes, white socks, white clothes, playing with white balls, everybody who plays is white. Where is everybody else?’ “That was the moment I decided to fight for equality and freedom and equal rights and opportunities for everyone. Everyone. Not just girls. Everyone.” – Billie Jean King on her epiphany as a 12-year-old

Twitter: @BilleJeanKing

Instagram: billiejeanking