Think about it: ask a young person for a tennis player’s name, and you’re bound to hear “Serena,” “Venus,” or maybe even “Tashi Duncan” (we see you, Zendaya!). The fact that women can reach such iconic status in tennis is no accident; it’s a legacy built on the tireless work of Billie Jean King.
Back in February, Billie Jean King reminded the world of her lifelong mission: empowering girls through sport. “What I believe in and what I keep striving to do is to help girls believe in themselves,” said the 39-time Grand Slam champion. “Forty-eight percent of girls drop out of sports because they’re told they don’t have the right body type. We’re socialized not to trust our bodies,” she further stated as a member of Dove’s Body Confident Collective. King, now 81, has come up with a “timely advice.”
In a recent interview with the founder of the Women’s National Football Conference (WNFC), Odessa Jenkins, BJK added, “Girls are taught that we don’t have the right body type. You are this, you are that, I was too chubby. I don’t care. Always look at a human being and say what they do have. instead of looking at what you don’t have, focus on what you do have…We practice our strengths,” clearly emphasizing the strengths of women who need to embrace themselves, despite their body type.
In 1970, BJK took a bold stand for women’s tennis, rallying eight fellow top players to form their own professional tour: the Virginia Slims Circuit. It was a courageous move that laid the groundwork for the creation of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), now the most successful women’s pro tour in any sport. Alongside her groundbreaking advocacy, King amassed 39 Grand Slam titles (Singles and doubles combined) and made history as the 1st female athlete to earn $100,000 in a single season. She also famously defeated Bobby Riggs in the legendary “Battle of the Sexes,” one of the most iconic matches in tennis history.
In late 2024, the Glamour’s author Lucy Morgan traveled to Malaga to interview Billie Jean King during the Billie Jean King Cup finals. This was part of Glamour’s ongoing initiative to reshape the narrative around women’s sports by speaking with elite athletes and changemakers about achieving equality. On the morning of the scheduled interview with King, the writer secured an interview with her wife, Ilana Kloss, the South African tennis legend and CEO of Billie Jean King Enterprises.
“Billie was always very smart,” she had said. “She knew that when you go into the men’s arena, they pay attention […] It started when she played Bobby Riggs in 1973. He was as old as her father, but the fact that she was playing a man, all of the men got interested.” Ilana had further added, “Everybody knows that women can sweat, we can have kids, we can do anything we want to do. And it’s not defined by gender, but we do still have a long way to go.”
Off the court, she has been honored with the “Presidential Medal of Freedom” in 2009 for her tireless efforts in championing women’s rights in sports and advocating for the LGBTQ+ community. As the founder of the ‘Women’s Sports Foundation’, King has worked relentlessly to create opportunities and platforms for female athletes to thrive. And adding to her long list of accolades, Billie Jean King was recently recognized with another remarkable honor.
BJK shared her views after being honored with a Bronze Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
BJK made history once again, becoming the 1st woman to receive a star on the “Hollywood Walk of Fame” in the newly established Sports Entertainment category. Longtime friends and admirers joined the legendary tennis icon, including NBA great Magic Johnson and Oscar-winning actress Jamie Lee Curtis, as she unveiled the 2,807th star. Located at the iconic intersection of Hollywood and Vine, directly across from the historic Pantages Theatre, the marquee fittingly displayed, “A star for a star. Congratulations Billie Jean King.”
The ceremony also reunited King with trailblazing WTA pioneers Rosie Casals and Julie Anthony, along with the tour’s former athletic trainer, Connie Spooner. Reflecting on the moment, King shared, “The important thing is, I don’t want to be the last one. My family loved music and movies. My mother would have loved this,” Her heartfelt words underscored the personal and cultural significance of the honor.
The Walk of Fame has traditionally recognized figures in film, television, radio, theatre, and music. King’s groundbreaking recognition outside of tennis expands that legacy to celebrate transformative figures in sports. Among those present were five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova and Stacey Allaster, former WTA CEO and current U.S. Open tournament director.
With countless accolades, including the BBC’s “Sports Personality Lifetime Achievement Award” in 2018, Billie Jean King remains a towering figure whose impact on women in sports will continue to inspire generations to come.
The post “I Was Too Chubby”- Strength Over Standards Billie Jean King Rewrites the Message of Girl Power appeared first on EssentiallySports.