07/13/2025
Billie Jean King wasn’t just fighting for tennis titles — she was fighting for her right to exist on the court as an equal.
In 1973, more than 90 million people watched her walk into the Houston Astrodome to play Bobby Riggs — a former Wimbledon champ turned self-proclaimed “male chauvinist pig.” He mocked women’s sports. Said they were a joke. King, 29 years old and at the height of her game, showed up not just to win — but to prove something far bigger.
She crushed him in straight sets.
That match, forever known as the Battle of the Sexes, was more than a media stunt. It was the moment women’s sports forced their way into the mainstream conversation. But Billie’s fight didn’t start — or stop — there.
She grew up in a conservative, working-class family in Long Beach, California. She bought her first racket with babysitting money. Tennis, in those days, was a country-club sport. White, male, and deeply elitist. Billie kicked the doors open. She co-founded the Women’s Tennis Association. Fought for equal prize money. Publicly battled sponsors, federations, and tradition. All while racking up 39 Grand Slam titles.
But there was another fight happening in silence.
For years, Billie hid her sexuality — afraid that coming out would destroy her career. In 1981, she was outed publicly. It nearly did. She lost endorsements overnight. But instead of hiding again, she stood her ground. And in doing so, she became one of the first openly gay icons in sports — long before it was safe.
Billie Jean King didn’t just serve aces — she served notice.
How do you win a game that was never built for you to play? You fight. You lead. You stay. That’s what she did.
