“Everybody has a price” – Billie Jean King thrashed for supporting WTA’s greedy deal with Saudi Arabia neglecting human rights issues
Billie Jean King received intense backlash on social media after supporting the WTA and Saudi collaboration..
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Billie Jean King (Image via The New York Times)
Women’s tennis legend Billie Jean King is one of the most beloved sportspersons of all time. Her aura on the tennis court was unmatched, and that made people love her incredibly. However, a few words in recent times by the ace have elicited a plethora of negative reactions on social media. Her comments on the WTA and Saudi collaboration have not gone well with her fans, as claims of hypocrisy and money power have taken over the internet.
The recent trend in the sporting world is to get linked with Saudi Arabia, as it brings in a lot of money and popularity. Football and cricket have gone down that path, with a few small leagues being held there.
Tennis is following the same path, with both tours showing a willingness to link with the country. Earlier, there were exhibition matches held over there, and many prominent players such as Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal were told to take part. Now the plan is to have many events out there and make it a hub in many ways.
Billie Jean King, who used to fight a lot for women’s rights, has supported the collaboration of the WTA and Saudi Arabia, which has been quite a surprise to her fans. Many are shocked that she agrees to this, as Saudi Arabia ignores women’s issues, which practically goes against Billie’s views.
On Friday, at an event celebrating the 50th anniversary of the founding of the WTA, King supported talks between the WTA and Saudi Arabia on holding competitions in the kingdom. She said, “I’m a huge believer in engagement. I don’t think you change unless you engage. I would probably go there and talk to them. Sometimes when you are in the position we are in, you need to support the change,”
Continuing her train of thought, she further added, “How are we going to change things if we don’t engage? It’s hard. I’m a total optimist. I always think the best of people. We have to keep trying.”
Fans express disappointment towards Billie Jean King’s comments
As expected, Twitter was quick enough to react to the comments made by Billie Jean King. Many feel that she has forgotten all that she fought for to give birth to the WTA out of greed for money. Fans express shock as they can’t believe that the legend is ready to collaborate with Saudi Arabia, which has an abysmal record on human rights.
Sharing a wide spectrum of reactions online, here’s what fans have to say:
The collaboration is certainly something that is going to attract a lot of mixed opinions over the next few weeks or even months. With that being said, there is no denying the fact that this is a big collaboration in the sport and will make a huge difference to almost everyone involved.
For now, the focus will be on the upcoming Wimbledon, where a good blend of experience and youth will battle it out. With that being said, there is no denying the fact that the majority of eyes will be on none other than Novak Djokovic. Can he lift the trophy for the fifth time in a row? Only time will tell.
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Manan Mehta
(215 Articles Published)