Billie Jean King

Hi there. My name is Billie Jean King. I was born on November 22nd, 1943, in California. When I was a girl, I loved playing all kinds of sports. I especially loved running fast and playing softball. But when I was 11 years old, a friend took me to a tennis club for the first time. As soon as I picked up a wooden racket and hit the fuzzy green ball, I knew what I wanted to do. I told my mom that I was going to be the number one tennis player in the world. It felt like I had found my dream.

To make my dream come true, I had to practice every single day. I hit thousands and thousands of tennis balls. Finally, all that hard work paid off. In 1966, I traveled to a special tournament in England called Wimbledon and I won my first big championship. It was one of the happiest days of my life. But while I was celebrating, I noticed something that wasn't right. The boy who won the championship got more prize money than I did. I thought that wasn't fair. We both worked just as hard, so we should be treated the same. I decided I would work to make things equal for all players.

A few years later, a man named Bobby Riggs, who used to be a famous tennis player, started saying that men were much better athletes than women. In 1973, he announced that he could beat any top female player. I knew he was wrong, and I wanted to show everyone that women were strong and skilled, too. So, I agreed to play a match against him. It was a huge event that everyone called the 'Battle of the Sexes.' On September 20th, 1973, we played in a giant stadium, and millions of people watched on television. The match was tough, but I played my very best. And I won. That victory wasn't just for me; it was to show the world that girls can do anything boys can do.

Winning that match was important, but I knew there was more work to do. That same year, in 1973, I gathered other female players, and together we started a group called the Women's Tennis Association. We created it so that we could work together to make sure all women tennis players were treated fairly and paid equally. I kept playing tennis and winning tournaments, but I never stopped speaking up for what I believed in. I believe that sports should be for everyone, no matter who you are. Today, I still work hard to make sure every child has a chance to play, to follow their dreams, and to be a champion in their own life.