Billie Jean King

Billie Jean King

23 quotes

Biography

Billie Jean King is an American former world No. 1 tennis player. King won 39 Grand Slam titles: 12 in singles, 16 in women's doubles, and 11 in mixed doubles.

"When they take surveys of women in business, of the Fortune 500, the successful women, 80% of them, say they were in sports as a young woman."

Billie Jean King

"In 1973, women got 59 cents on the dollar now we are getting 74 cents on the dollar. In the area of finance and business, we are at 68 cents on the dollar."

Billie Jean King

"Men can have a huge turnover of sponsorship and still survive a lot better than the women. But the women's ratings are better, at least at home in the United States than in the men's tennis."

Billie Jean King

"I think it's impossible to judge whether another person should come out. You just hope they will on their own time and their own terms."

Billie Jean King

"If your partner wants to be private, you have to respect that."

Billie Jean King

"Women get the attention when we get into the men's arena, and that's sad."

Billie Jean King

"There is no life for girls in team sports past Little League. I got into tennis when I realized this, and because I thought golf would be too slow for me, and I was too scared to swim."

Billie Jean King

"Sports are a microcosm of society."

Billie Jean King

"Champions keep playing until they get it right."

Billie Jean King

"Sports are a microcosm of society."

Billie Jean King

"Sports teaches you character, it teaches you to play by the rules, it teaches you to know what it feels like to win and lose-it teaches you about life."

Billie Jean King

"Women's sports is still in its infancy. The beginning of women's sports in the United States started in 1972, with the passage of Title 9 for girls to finally get athletic scholarships."

Billie Jean King

"When they take surveys of women in business, of the Fortune 500, the successful women, 80% of them, say they were in sports as a young woman."

Billie Jean King

"I wanted to use sports for social change."

Billie Jean King

"In the seventies we had to make it acceptable for people to accept girls and women as athletes. We had to make it okay for them to be active. Those were much scarier times for females in sports."

Billie Jean King

"Women's sports is still in its infancy. The beginning of women's sports in the United States started in 1972, with the passage of Title 9 for girls to finally get athletic scholarships."

Billie Jean King

"When they take surveys of women in business, of the Fortune 500, the successful women, 80% of them, say they were in sports as a young woman."

Billie Jean King

"Tennis taught me so many lessons in life. One of the things it taught me is that every ball that comes to me, I have to make a decision. I have to accept responsibility for the consequences every time I hit a ball."

Billie Jean King

"I think self-awareness is probably the most important thing towards becoming a champion."

Billie Jean King

"When we reach the point where the women athletes are getting their pick of dates just as easily as the men athletes, then we've really and truly arrived. Parity at last!"

Billie Jean King

"I like entrepreneurial people I like people who take risks."

Billie Jean King

"That is where the power, opportunity, and choice come from-when you have money. Money equals opportunity. There is no question."

Billie Jean King

"Champions take responsibility. When the ball is coming over the net you can be sure I want the ball."

Billie Jean King