Tennis legend Billie Jean King has been a fearless advocate for women’s rights and women in sports since early in her career, but she said there’s still work to do.
King made history in 1973 when she defeated top tennis player Bobby Riggs in the famous “Battle of the Sexes” match. Over 90 million people worldwide tuned into the match, according to BJK’s official website. It is the basis for the 2017 movie of the same name starring Emma Stone and Steve Carell.
Building on her strides for women in sports, King helped found the Women’s Tennis Association and became its first president. She also lobbied for equal prize money for men and women at the U.S. Open, making it the first major tournament to offer equal prize money across sexes.
As the 2025 U.S. Open descends on New York City, King sat down with CNBC’s Alex Sherman for a wide-ranging interview on the state of women’s sports, uniting tennis across men’s and women’s leagues and her perspective on aging gracefully.
Leveling the playing field
Growing up, King said her father believed in her just as much as he did in her younger brother. She said the way that men use their power is a key part of the fight for women’s rights.
“We’re taught not to ask for what we want and need. We are totally taught not to do that,” she said.
But King recounted examples of how women have brought about real, tangible changes in the industry when they speak up.
When David Stern was commissioner of the NBA, King had been sitting with him in the president’s box at the U.S. Open. After working up the courage, she said she asked Stern to promise he wouldn’t let the WNBA fail. He agreed and secured the financial backing to get the league on solid footing.
Similarly, King said hockey legend Kendall Coyne Schofield came to her and her wife, Ilana Kloss, to recruit their help in starting the Professional Women’s Hockey League, which had its first game in 2024.
“I looked at her, I said, ‘You have no idea how brave you are, because most girls don’t have the guts to even ask.’ But now we have a league because she asked. Kendall asked the question,” King said.
King said the male and female tennis players have been working together more and more over the years. But her goal to unite the two leagues — the ATP and the WTA — is still a work in progress.
“That’s my prayer for the future,” she said.
Aging gracefully
To King, aging just means more opportunity.
She said she and her wife try to play tennis together three times per week.
“I’ve read research, you can live almost — especially with tennis, it’s the healthiest sport in the world — that I can live almost 10 years extra, and that’s what I want,” she said.
And while pickleball has seen a huge boost in popularity over the past few years, especially among older populations, King said she’s sticking with tennis.
“I’ve played it a couple of times, but I don’t love the sound,” she said. “As long as I can play tennis, that’s where the magic is for me, when the ball hits the strings.”
