Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King
Billie Jean Kingis an American former World No. 1 professional tennis player. King won 39 Grand Slam titles, including 12 singles, 16 women's doubles, and 11 mixed doubles titles. King won the singles title at the inaugural WTA Tour Championships. King often represented the United States in the Federation Cup and the Wightman Cup. She was a member of the victorious United States team in seven Federation Cups and nine Wightman Cups. For three years, King was the United States'...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionTennis Player
Date of Birth22 November 1943
CityLong Beach, CA
CountryUnited States of America
Winning is very tangible, it's very exciting, it's very pleasing, but it's momentary. If you can do things that last, that each generation can build upon, then that's when you're cooking.
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.
I didn't really care if I had a coach that much, me personally, because I was brought up to think for myself.
I have a lot to say, and if I'm not No. 1, I can't say it.
I hate being called a homosexual because I don't feel that way. It really upsets me ... Being gay can happen in any walk of life, in any world. If you have one gay experience, does that mean you're gay? If you have one heterosexual experience, does that mean you're straight? Life doesn't work quite so cut and dried.
Marriage isn't a 50-50 proposition very often. It's more like 100-0 one moment and 0-100 the next.
The main thing is not a matter of wanting to win; the main thing is being scared to lose.
Any therapist will tell you that when you're ready, you will come out. To be outed means you weren't ready.
At 62 you want to keep moving; that's important.
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!
Men still get a lot more opportunity. It is still a big part of the old boy network. They have more companies they can get money from.
Martina and I went through a very bad five years. Everything's very good between us now, but it was a long haul.
I would love to be a player today. I had the right personality for it.
I always liked co-ed events best so we have two men and two women on each team.