It was around five decades ago when one of the most prolific tennis players in the history of the sport, Billie Jean King, stood out for women"s equal pay rights at the U.S. Open.
Billie Jean wasn"t alone in her fight, as were other female tennis players, and the sponsorship that King secured along with the director of the Open, Bill Talbert, led her to the biggest moves, which will now award equal prize money to both men and women.
According to Front Office Sports, King shared, "In ‘72 at the media conference [following her U.S. Open championship], I said we’re not coming back unless we get equal prize money,"
"I hadn’t planned it. I just did it."
50 years ago, Billie Jean King demanded equal pay at the U.S. Open.
On Tuesday, the Billie Jean King Cup Finals start in Spain with a record total purse of $9.6 million — on par with earnings at its men’s equivalent.@owenpoindexter has more with @BillieJeanKing ⤵️
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) November 7, 2023
FOS further shares, "50 years ago, Billie Jean King demanded equal pay at the U.S. Open. On Tuesday, the Billie Jean King Cup Finals start in Spain with a record total purse of $9.6 million — on par with earnings at its men’s equivalent."
King will also be honoured during “Gainbridge’s inaugural Parity Week", “Women with Drive III", “the ANNIKA", and the “Billie Jean King Cup". These events are majorly focused on gender pay fairness in sports.
It is not just tennis that King is focused on; she is also actively pursuing the voice of women in other sports as well. King and her spouse, Ilana Kloss, are still endlessly fighting for more opportunities for women in sports leagues.
Their main focus centred on increasing funding for the other half in sports. As per FOS, the dynamic duo is in line to start the Professional Women’s Hockey League, along with other major personalities involved.
Her spouse Kloss, regarding the Women"s Hockey League, mentions, "It’s great that women ice hockey players will finally be able to have the same dreams as the little boys. That’s hugely important,"
"But most important is that it will be a growing business and an investment that will pay off."
