In 1975, Sports Illustrated declared that Billie Jean Moffitt King “will go down as the most significant athlete of this century.” And the magazine was right. Today, King is being looked up to as a legend among female athletes.
It was in 1973 that King faced against Bobby Riggs in a three-set tennis match, which she would end as the victor, 6-4 6-3 6-3. It was a battle of two genders, making it among the most-watched sporting events in history, drawing the eyes of around 90 million viewers.
Her win catapulted her to the status of tennis legend, but there is one more important thing that she contributed to the sports industry: equality. Suffice it to say that if not for King, many young women wouldn’t have dared to venture into sports.
King was among eight other female tennis players who began the Virginia Slims Series, which didn’t offer equal monetary prizes. In 1970, the Series was unsuccessful in organizing a tournament for females. This prompted tennis officials to warn King and her group that they may be suspended if they commenced a tour – but they did it anyway. They signed a nominal $1 contract and had matches whenever and wherever they could.
In 1972, King was instrumental in pushing through the anti-gender discrimination law “Title IX,” which aimed to help women to make a living by being athletes. Then, a year later, King founded the Women’s Tennis Association, which united the women’s professional tour.
Then came Bobby Riggs, an outspoken man in his fifties who claimed he could win against any female athlete in her prime. He even made a statement on what the role of women should be.
“Number one, the woman should stay in the bedroom. Number two, they should get to the kitchen. Number three, they should support the man,” he said.
That was when the 29-year-old King realized how important it would be if she could win a game against the former number one.
“It was important to beat him for more than just the glory: it was so important for social change and for the way the public and the sport viewed female players,” she told The Telegraph.
In September of 1973, over 30,000 people congregated in the Houston Astrodome. It is undeniable that the match was phenomenal for women and promulgated gender equality in sports.
Following her win, the US Open became the first-ever tourney to offer equal prize money. Indeed, King proved that women aren’t weak. Not only that but King also promoted diversity in sports, having come out as gay a little later.
Unfortunately, in spite of spearheading this fight for equality, discrimination still occurs against female players. We may still have a long way to go, which brings us to the question: is it time for round two?