Billie Jean King's Blueprint: How Women Athletes Are Reshaping Sports Through Bold Leadership

Billie Jean King’s legacy extends far beyond her legendary tennis career. As an uncompromising advocate for equality in athletics, she has systematically dismantled barriers that confined women’s sports to the margins of the industry. Her influence—and the influence of pioneers like her spouse Ilana Kloss in their collaborative efforts—demonstrates how strategic action transforms entire sectors.

The Power of Speaking Up: From WNBA to Professional Women’s Hockey

King’s philosophy rests on a fundamental insight: women have been conditioned to silence. “We’re taught not to ask for what we want and need,” she reflected. Yet her own history tells a different story—one where asking changed everything.

When hockey player Kendall Coyne Schofield approached King and Ilana Kloss seeking support to launch the Professional Women’s Hockey League, she exemplified this principle. Despite having “no idea how brave” she was, Coyne Schofield dared to ask. The league played its inaugural game in 2024, proving that courage creates opportunity.

Similarly, King’s intervention during her conversation with then-NBA Commissioner David Stern shifted the trajectory of women’s basketball. She secured his commitment to prevent the WNBA from collapsing, ensuring financial stability for a league that now stands as a cornerstone of professional women’s sports.

The 1973 Turning Point: When 90 Million People Watched History

The “Battle of the Sexes” match between King and Bobby Riggs captivated a global audience of over 90 million viewers—a watershed moment that legitimized women’s athletic prowess on an unprecedented scale. That victory sparked the creation of the Women’s Tennis Association, with King as its founding president. Her subsequent campaign for equal prize money at the U.S. Open made it the first Grand Slam tournament to offer identical compensation regardless of gender.

The Unfinished Goal: Uniting Professional Tennis

Despite tennis being one of women’s most visible sports globally, King’s vision remains incomplete. The separation between the ATP and WTA continues, though male and female players increasingly collaborate. Unifying these leagues remains her long-term aspiration for the sport’s future.

The Longevity Factor: Why Tennis Remains King’s Priority

Now focused on what she calls “the magic” of competitive play, King maintains an active tennis schedule alongside Ilana Kloss, aiming for three sessions weekly. Research suggests tennis practitioners gain nearly a decade of additional healthy life expectancy compared to sedentary populations—a personal motivation that drives her commitment to the sport over emerging alternatives like pickleball. “As long as I can play tennis, that’s where the magic is for me, when the ball hits the strings,” she stated, embodying a philosophy where aging represents not decline but continued vitality and purpose.