Billie Jean King took on Bobby Riggs in the Battle of the Sexes on September 20, 1973. 50 years on, the impact of King's victory is still felt in the sport and in everyday life.
Former World No. 1 King had a hugely successful career on the court, winning 39 Grand Slam titles across singles and doubles in her illustrious career. However, the American has also been a pioneer in the sport, fighting for gender equality by founding the
WTA, ensuring equal pay for women at the
US Open, and silencing Riggs' sexist remarks in the Battle of the Sexes.
Riggs was a Grand Slam champion himself back in the late 1930s and early 40s. However, in his 50s he was still claiming that he could defeat any of the top female tennis players. King proved him wrong.
"It's Showtime": 50 Years on from The Battle of the Sexes
On this day 50 years ago, King walked out to a huge crowd including celebrities such as Salvador Dali, as well as the University of Houston’s 170-piece marching band, and Helen Reddy singing her feminist anthem "I Am Woman." All of this was put together by Jerry Perenchio, who wanted the tennis battle to have the energy of a big-time boxing match.
In the lead-up to the match, Riggs had been spouting a lot of sexist remarks about male superiority, expressing his belief that women should not have equal pay and that they belonged at home.
This was unfortunately a sentiment shared among a lot of men at the time, with one male player telling King that "No one will actually pay to watch you birds play," when she and other female players set up what was to become the WTA.
However, King proved them all wrong by defeating Riggs in straight sets 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. As they shook hands at the net afterward, the 55-year-old told her "I underestimated you."
Social change brought about by the battle
"I honestly didn’t think beating Bobby was a huge accomplishment athletically," King said recently, "but we wanted to change hearts and minds and I knew the worldwide reach it could have. It had an important effect psychologically and emotionally."
King, now 79 years old, has also said that countless women over the years have come up to her and told her "You changed my life that night. … You made me believe things were possible."
