Billie Jean King announces the release of her memoir, calls it ‘ALL IN ‘
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Billie Jean King, former women’s World no.1 and a champion tennis player recently announced the release date of her memoir. The memoir is called ‘ ALL IN ’ and is set to release on 17th August 2021. The highlights of the book are King’s talks about finding her authentic self, and her fight for quality and social justice.
According to some, King is the greatest women’s tennis player of all times. In a career that lasted some thirty odd years, she won thirty nine grand slam titles. Twelve in singles, sixteen in doubles, and eleven in mixed doubles. Her victory at the French Open of 1972 gave her the distinction of becoming only the fifth woman in tennis history to complete the ‘career Grand Slam’.
King was the founder of the WTA(Women’s Tennis Association) and the WSF(Women’s Sports Foundation). King became part of the Tennis hall of fame in 1987.
Fight for equality
King was always vocal for equal rights for women on and off the court. In 1973 in a match dubbed “ The battle of the sexes” she was challenged to a match of tennis by former men’s World no.1 Bobby Riggs. Riggs had in the past insulted women’s tennis and even defeated Margaret Court 6-2 6-1.
Finally the twenty Nine year old Billie Jean King accepted the challenge, but for a sum of 100,000 dollars. In this winner take all battle, which was telecast live in thirty seven countries and watched by 30,000 spectators, King defeated the fifty Five year old Riggs 6-4 6-3 6-3. This match brought respect to women’s tennis and gave the women’s sport a good name.
Fight for social justice
Billie Jean King was one of the first to campaign for equal prize money in the men’s and women’s game. In 1973 when she threatened to boycott the US Open if not given equal pay, and US Open relented. It became the first Grand Slam ever to offer equal pay to both men and the women.
King founded the World team Tennis in 1973 ; a mixed professional tennis league run on the principles of gender equality.
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Auri Ghosh
(652 Articles Published)