A Tennis Legend: Billie Jean King

Billie Jean King was a champion American tennis player who won 39 grand slam titles in her career. She also played a key role in fighting for equality in men’s and women’s tennis. She first played at Wimbledon in a) ................................ as a young tennis player by the name of Billie Jean Moffat. She played at Wimbledon 22 times over a period of 23 years. She was a favorite of the crowd and in the early days was more famous at Wimbledon than in her home country, the USA. She played a total of 265 matches at Wimbledon in both singles, doubles and mixed doubles. In b) ................................ , she took part in one of the most famous tennis encounters – ‘The Battle of the Sexes.’ Bobby Riggs was a former number one tennis player. At age 55, he boasted that the men’s game was so superior to the women’s game that he could easily beat any of the best women players of the time. At first, Billie Jean King was afraid of playing because she felt if she lost, it would put women’s tennis back 50 years. “I thought ... if I didn’t win that match ... it would ruin the women’s tour and affect all women’s self-esteem.” However, after Bobby Riggs beat Margaret Court (who was a great opponent of Billie Jean King and beat her twice in grand slam final), Billie Jean King accepted the challenge at the Houston Astrodome in Texas. The game was watched by a crowd of over 30,000 people and up to c) ................................ on TV. It was a media sensation, and Billie Jean King became the winner, beating Bobby Riggs d) ................................ . Throughout her career, Billie Jean King campaigned for better pay and recognition for female tennis players. There are many TV series and films which are dedicated to her as an inspiring hero.