Ons Jabeur bows down to Billie Jean King on the 50th anniversary of her win in the ‘Battle of Sexes’ promising to continue the struggle for equal pay

Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in the famous Battle of the Sexes match on September 20, 1973.

Ons Jabeur bows down to Billie Jean King on the 50th anniversary of her win in the ‘Battle of Sexes’ promising to continue the struggle for equal pay

Billie Jean Kings (L), Ons Jabeur (R) (Sources: Glamour, Telegraph India)

Tunisian tennis sensation Ons Jabeur took to Twitter (now known as X) on September 20 to thank Billie Jean King on the anniversary of her historic win over Bobby Riggs in the legendary ‘Battle of the Sexes’ 50 years ago that changed the entire course of female tennis forever.

The renowned match between the two greats was played on September 20, 1973, at the Houston Astrodome in Texas, and this date has since been celebrated by female tennis fans and players alike all over the globe because of its massive significance. 

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Billie Jean King herself remembered her Battle of the Sexes match on its 50th anniversary, as she wrote on Twitter, “The Battle of the Sexes was played 50 years ago today. More than a tennis match, it was a catalyst for social change and one of the most important days of my life. We have come a long way since 1973, but we are not done yet. Let’s keep going for it.”

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Ons Jabeur then tweeted this and further captioned, “Thank you, Billie Jean King, for everything you’ve done for women’s tennis, the battle for equity is still on,” to which the legend replied with the folded hands emoji. 

With that being said, there is no denying the fact that Billie Jean’s victory over Bobby Riggs was an important step forward in gradually decreasing the massive gender pay gap that existed in tennis. Although it is still there, the gap is slowly closing in. The four Grand Slams, for example, pay the same prize money to both men and women. Thus, it is clear that we are not far away from getting equal pay. 

Read More: Ons Jabeur explains her decision to invest in Naomi Osaka-owned soccer team NC Courage

How Billie Jean King created history in Battle of the Sexes

For context, back in the 1940s, Bobby Riggs was one of the best men’s players. He had won six major titles throughout his career and had three Grand Slam titles to his name. Although he retired in 1951, Riggs continued to promote the sport long after his retirement. In 1973, when he was 55 years old, Riggs challenged the then Women’s No. 1 player, Billie Jean King, for a match, claiming that even at this age, he could oust the best women’s player. 

Billie Jean King (Image via The New York Times)
Billie Jean King (Image via The New York Times)

Billie Jean King initially refused the offer, and thus Riggs played and beat Margaret Court instead, who was returning after pregnancy. Following that, Billie Jean King finally accepted Riggs’ proposal and played against him in what the promoters famously called ‘Battle of the sexes’. 

She beat Bobby Riggs 6-4, 6-3, 6-3, sending a wave of shock to the tennis community. Following the triumph, Billie Jean said that she knew the importance of the match for women’s tennis and that it would have set back women’s tennis by 50 years. After her victory, people started taking women’s tennis seriously, and it transformed the sport forever. 

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