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Billie Jean King is one of the world’s most famous tennis players.
Born Billie Jean Moffitt, King’s parentswere also athletic.
Her mother, Betty, was a swimmer, and her father, Bill, was into basketball.
Her younger brother, Randy, also grew up playing sports and was later a Major League Baseball pitcher.
Still, pursuing tennis as a child wasn’t easy at first.
What could possibly be the problem?'"
King first took up tennis thanks to her father’s suggestion.
From there, she was formally introduced to what would be her favorite sport by a close friend.
She was just 15 years old at the time.
King also faced sexism from male tennis players who questioned why a woman would want to play the game.
The famous tournament took place in September 1973, and King beat Riggs in three straight sets.
It would ruin the women’s [tennis] tour and affect all women’s self-esteem.
To beat a 55-year-old guy was no thrill for me.
The thrill was exposing a lot of new people to tennis."
This was a secret King kept until Barnett retaliated against her over their breakup about a decade later.
Her lawyer advised her to deny that she was a lesbian, but King refused.
I don’t care.
This is important to me to tell the truth.'"
Since her public outing, King has become an important voice in the LGBTQ+ community.
The lawsuit affected King not only personally, but also professionally.
The loss of her endorsements also didn’t help her financial woes.
She later revealed struggles with binge eating disorder.
“I needed to surrender far sooner than I did.”
This was later revealed as binge-eating disorder, which she was diagnosed with at the age of 51.
If you need help with an eating disorder, or know someone who does, help is available.
King has also worked to raise awareness about the condition, particularly encouraging children to lead more active lives.
Later, the COVID-19 pandemic also interfered with her ability to seek medical care for her condition.
As the title suggests, the movie focused on King’s famous tennis match against Bobby Riggs.
Emma Stone, who hasundergone a stunning transformation, played King, while Steve Carrell played Riggs.
Of Stone’s portrayal, King toldSports Illustrated, “It was amazing.
Her mannerisms, her voice.
If I close my eyes, I would have thought it was me.”
It’s a movie that doesn’t hit nearly as hard as she did … As of late 2023, the picture book also has a 4.8 rating onAmazon.
“I think it’s sad,” King was quoted as saying by theTallahassee Democrat.
“I’m very big on inclusion, everybody being their authentic self.
Meltzer also pleaded in a video, “Fight for books.
That’s what all book bans are always about, power and control and the people losing it.”
