Episode 21: How Billie Jean King Served Up a Revolution

Welcome back to HerStance, the podcast that looks at the world through the lens of groundbreaking women. Today, we're lacing up our sneakers and stepping onto the court with a woman who didn't just play the game—she changed it, for everyone. This is the story of Billie Jean King, not just as a tennis champion, but as a feminist revolutionary.

When you think of Billie Jean King, the mind often goes straight to 1973. The "Battle of the Sexes." The media spectacle. The iconic image of her holding a racket, a triumphant grin on her face, having just defeated Bobby Riggs, the self-proclaimed chauvinist pig. But to understand the true impact of that moment, you have to look at what she was fighting for, long before she stepped onto that court.

In this episode of HerStance, we go beyond the 1973 "Battle of the Sexes" to explore the full, powerful legacy of Billie Jean King. Her story isn't just about 39 Grand Slam titles; it's about the seismic shifts she created for women everywhere. We delve into her relentless fight for equal prize money, which paved the way for the opportunities female athletes have today. We examine how her activism, from pushing for Title IX to founding the Women's Tennis Association, extended far beyond the court and into the halls of power. Billie Jean King was a fierce competitor and a brilliant athlete, but above all, she was a feminist warrior who understood that her personal struggle was political. Join us as we explore how she didn't just win a match—she hit back at a world that tried to put women in their place, clearing a path for all of us to stand a little taller, with our heads held high.

#BillieJeanKing  #HerStancePodcast  #TennisLegend  #BattleOfTheSexes  #FeministWarrior  #TitleIX  #WTA  #WomensHistory  #WomensHistory

See movie trailer with interview of Billie Jean King https://youtu.be/4QizEAujRlw

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Battle-of-the-Sexes-tennis

Transcript

Welcome back to HerStance, the podcast that looks at the world through the lens of groundbreaking women. Today, we're lacing up our sneakers and stepping onto the court with a woman who didn't just play the game—she changed it, for everyone. This is the story of Billie Jean King, not just as a tennis champion, but as a feminist revolutionary.

When you think of Billie Jean King, the mind often goes straight to 1973. The "Battle of the Sexes." The media spectacle. The iconic image of her holding a racket, a triumphant grin on her face, having just defeated Bobby Riggs, the self-proclaimed chauvinist pig. But to understand the true impact of that moment, you have to look at what she was fighting for, long before she stepped onto that court.

Speaking of impacts – you can make an impact right now by showing your support for this podcast by giving this podcast 5 stars on whatever platform you listen, by using the support button on my website at https://herstancepodcast.buzzsprout.com  

And following my Instagram or Facebook at herstance with sandra. There you can use the Linktree link to get digital products and sign up for my monthly newsletter.   This community – this movement – is growing. Together, we are taking the vision, the passion, and the hard fought battles won by the women featured on HerStance into the 21st Century and beyond!  Find all of the research  links in the show notes (including the links to the outstanding tools I use to produce this podcast)  and make waves with us!

Now, back to our incredible story.

Billie Jean Moffitt grew up in Long Beach, California, in a time when sports were a playground for men. She was an athlete from the start, a natural. But when she saw her first tennis court at age 11, something clicked. She saw a path, a place where she could use her drive and her competitive spirit. But even then, she saw the inequalities. The game was white, and it was wealthy. At 12 years old, she had a thought that would become her life's mission: "I'm going to change this game."

And change it she did.

By the late 1960s, she was a dominant force. She had won multiple Grand Slam titles, including Wimbledon. 

For those who may not know tennis, A Grand Slam tournament is one of the four most important and prestigious annual tennis competitions–The Australian Open (played in Melbourne in January); The French Open (also known as Roland Garros, played in Paris in late May/early June); Wimbledon (played in London in late June/early July); and The US Open (played in New York City in late August/early September). By winning THE "Grand Slam" refers to the rare feat of a player winning all four of these major tournaments in the same calendar year.  

Another fun fact about these tournaments is that they are played on different surfaces–traditional hard court, clay, and grass. 

Only 5 players have won all in one year, and Margaret Court of Australia was one of them – a fierce rival of Billie Jean King over the years. They matched up 34 times in the 60s and 70s and met in a Grand Slam final five times, with Court winning four of those encounters. These were outstanding competitive matches to behold.

But the prize money told a different story. In 1970, King won the Italian Open, but her prize money was a measly fraction of what the men's champion received. Ilie Năstase was awarded $3,500 – Billie Jean King – $600.  This wasn't just unfair; it was insulting. It was a clear message that her talent, her hard work, and her dedication were worth less. And that message was not just about tennis; it was about every woman in every field.

Billie Jean King saw the bigger picture. She understood that this wasn't just about a few dollars more for her. It was about equal pay, equal recognition, and equal opportunity for all women. And she wasn’t afraid to fight for it.

In 1970, with the help of Gladys Heldman, she led a group of nine female players, known as the "Original 9," to break away from the traditional tennis establishment. They signed $1 contracts with Heldman's new women's circuit, creating the Virginia Slims Tour. It was a radical act of defiance. They were told they would fail, that they were risking their careers. But they knew what was at stake. They were creating their own table when they weren't invited to sit at the men's. This was a direct, unapologetic act of feminist rebellion. They weren't just playing for themselves; they were playing for a future where women could be professionals, where they could be compensated fairly for their work.

And this leads us back to 1973. 

The "Battle of the Sexes" was not just a tennis match; it was a cultural event. Bobby Riggs, a former men's champion, at 55 years old,  was a caricature of male chauvinism, and he was the perfect foil. The world watched as he mocked women's tennis, saying they were "not strong enough" and that their place was "in the kitchen and the bedroom." For many, this was a circus. For Billie Jean King, aged 29, it was an opportunity. She was shouldering the hopes of an entire generation of women.

The match was an incredible spectacle. But beyond the glitz and the glamour, what was happening was a profound moment of feminist solidarity. It was a chance to prove, on a global stage, that a woman was just as capable as a man. And when she won, in straight sets, 6-4. 6-3, 6-3, she didn’t just win a tennis match. She won a cultural victory. She proved that women belonged on the biggest stages, that they were not an asterisk, but the main event. Her victory was a powerful symbol that the old order was being challenged, and that a new one, based on equality, was emerging.

But her fight didn't end there. Billie Jean King was a key figure in the passage of Title IX in 1972, the landmark legislation that prohibited sex-based discrimination in any school or education program that receives federal funding. This law would go on to open up sports opportunities for millions of young girls, creating the very landscape that she had once dreamed of.

King's life and work continued to evolve, solidifying her status as a global icon. It always seemed to be played out in the public eye. She had been married to her husband, Larry King, an attorney, pilot, real estate broker, and American sports promoter, since 1965. However, she wrestled with her sexual identity. Famously, she had an affair with her then assistant, who ‘outed’ her in a palimony suit in 1981. King admitted the affair publically, but stayed with Larry for 6 more years.

Despite her representatives' advice to deny the relationship, King chose to be honest about it, becoming one of the first prominent athletes to publicly acknowledge a same-sex relationship. The immediate aftermath was severe: she lost all of her endorsement deals, costing her an estimated $1.5 million. This public revelation was a pivotal moment in her life, leading her to become a more outspoken advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. She has since reflected that it took her until she was 51 to become comfortable in her own skin as a gay woman. 

Today she is happily married to another former tennis great, Ilona Kloss. They’ve been together for over 40 years.

King retired from professional tennis in 1983 but remained a powerful force in the sports world and beyond. Her work continued through organizations she had co-founded, such as the Women's Sports Foundation (WSF), which advocates for equal opportunities for girls and women in sports. In 2014, she co-founded the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative, a non-profit dedicated to promoting diverse and inclusive leadership in the workplace.

She has also remained active in tennis as a coach and commentator, leading the U.S. Fed Cup team to multiple victories and coaching the U.S. women's Olympic tennis teams. Beyond tennis, she has been a director for the Elton John AIDS Foundation, showing her commitment to a range of social justice issues. She also is a part-owner of professional sports teams, including the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA and Angel City Football Club of the National Women's Soccer League.

Over the years, King has been recognized with numerous prestigious honors: In 2006, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) renamed the facility that hosts the US Open in her honor. The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is the first major sports venue to be named after a woman.    In 2009, President Barack Obama awarded King the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. She was the first female athlete to receive this award.   In 2020, the Fed Cup, the women's world cup of tennis, was renamed the Billie Jean King Cup. This was the first time a major global team sports event was named after a woman.   In 2024, she became the first individual woman athlete to be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.  And she has been named one of the "100 Most Important Americans of the 20th Century" by Life magazine, and a statue of her was unveiled at California State University, Los Angeles, in recognition of her work.

Billie Jean King's legacy is not just in her 39 Grand Slam titles. It's in the prize money that women tennis players earn today, which is finally, in some cases, equal to the men's. 

It's in the opportunities for young girls to play sports in high school and college. It's in the quiet, powerful message she sent to every woman who has ever been told they are "less than." 

She was a fierce competitor, a strategic thinker, and a brilliant athlete. 

But most importantly, she was a feminist warrior who understood that the personal is political. 

Her stance was not just about hitting a ball; it was about hitting back at a world that tried to put women in their place. And in doing so, she cleared a path for all of us to stand a little taller, with our heads held high, and our rackets—or our voices—ready to take on the world.

It’s time for our HerStance Challenge

Wow, what an amazing woman!  I had a very hard time deciding what the challenge would be this episode. So many facets to Billie Jean King’s story.

I think Billie Jean King epitomizes the Unpopular Stance!!! – often HerStance.

•  In 1970, Billie Jean King and eight other female players, known as the "Original 9," broke away from the tennis establishment to protest the vast pay disparity between men and women. They risked their careers to form their own tour, the Virginia Slims Circuit, on a $1 contract.

Here’s your challenge:

• identify a cause that you believe in that might not be popular with your friends, family, or colleagues. 
• The challenge is to take a small, tangible step to stand up for that belief, similar to how the Original 9 risked their careers for a principle. 
• Share your experiences of taking an "unpopular stance."

I would love to put together an episode of listener voices – How this community is taking the unpopular stance and making a difference right where you are.

Send in your story of how you took that small tangible step and what happened. How did you feel? What changed? 

Send your story in an email to Contact@elevateherexistence.com. Perhaps I’ll contact you for inclusion.  I’ll look forward to following up in the months to share a community ‘voices’ episode.

You’ve been enjoying HerStance podcast, written, produced and hosted by me, Sandra Koelle.

You can follow me on Instagram and facebook at  HerStance with Sandra

There you will find my Link.tree link to sign up for digital products, my newsletter and more.

Support me and the mission of HerStance at the Support Button at the podcast website at https://herstancepodcast.buzzsprout.com/2463980/supporters/new

Until Next Time!!!  Keep taking the unpopular Stance – HerStance!