Tennis legend Billie Jean King played an iconic match back in 1973, which was a big moment in the sport's history and women's tennis in particular. The 'Battle of the Sexes' celebrated it's 49th anniversary on Tuesday and King remembered the groundbreaking moment on the occasion.
'Battle of the Sexes' is used to describe a match where a female player takes on a male player and was most popularly used for the match between Billie Jean King and the late Bobby Riggs, on September 20, 1973. The match, played at the Houston Astrodome, reportedly recorded 90 million viewers worldwide.
King won the match against her male counterpart in three sets. Her win is widely regarded as a milestone victory in the acceptance of women's tennis, at a time when many female players fought for respect in the tennis world.
King reminisced about the same and said that the match was about equality much more than it was about tennis. On that note, she is optimistic about the 2023 season.
"The Battle of the Sexes was about much more than tennis. It was about equality & social change," Billie Jean King wrote on Twitter. "49 years ago today, Bobby Riggs and I played in the Houston Astrodome in front of a global audience of 90M. The world was watching. 2023 will be a big year."
Tennis matches between male and female players were held before the King-Riggs battle too, but American superstar King became the first female player to win any of those matches.
Earlier that year, Riggs played Margaret Court in Ramona, California, winning 6-2 6-1. In 1992, Martina Navratilova and Jimmy Connors competed in another 'Battle of the Sexes' match in Las Vegas, which Connors won 7-5 6-2.
Billie Jean King has been considered a pioneer in the fight for equality in tennis over the years.
The Battle of the Sexes was about much more than tennis. It was about equality & social change. 49 years ago today, Bobby Riggs and I played in the Houston Astrodome in front of a global audience of 90M. The world was watching. 2023 will be a big year. 📷: Bill Schoen
