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
Female athletes are stereotyped by the general population--and usually as homosexuals.
I always wanted to help make tennis a team sport.
I've never cared that much for cementing my place in history. Sports is so transitory, so ephemeral. It just seems like so much nonsense comparing me to Helen Wills Moody or Suzanne Lenglen or anybody else from some other time. One lesson you learn from sports is that life goes on without you.
A girl didn't get an athletic scholarship until the fall of 1972 for the very first time.
In 1973, a woman could not get a credit card without her husband or father or a male signing off on it.
Women's sports is still in its infancy. The beginning of women's sports in the United States started in 1972, with the passage of Title 9 for girls to finally get athletic scholarships.
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.
Champions take responsibility. When the ball is coming over the net, you can be sure I want the ball.
I like putting money back into what made my life, and tennis has been great to me.
In 1973, women got 59 cents on the dollar; now we are getting 74 cents on the dollar. In the area of finance and business, we are at 68 cents on the dollar.
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.
At 62 you want to keep moving; that's important.