Tennis stars labeled as freaks – “It was implied that they are lesbians”

Julie Heldman, Nancy Richey, manager Doris Hart, Mary Anne Curtis, Billie Jean King and Peaches Bartkowicz pose in 1970. Colorsport/Shutterstock, All Over Press

Billie Jean King is one of the most legendary tennis players. Among other things, his career is discussed in the new one Tennis legends in the documentary series.

King is known not only as a top athlete, but also as an activist. He drove the same prize amounts for women as for men. One way to draw attention to gender inequality was the women’s professional tour, which launched in September 1970. In addition to King, it was joined by eight other players.

In tennis circles, the tour was viewed with suspicion.

– Sports Illustrated magazine did a famous story where a male reporter followed the women’s tour. He wrote, as if reassuringly, that no one has a beard and no one walks like a lumberjack, a sports writer Johnette Howard remembers on TV.

– Female athletes were considered freaks who live without love. There was a lot of insinuation that they are lesbians. That’s what women fought against.

Three years later, in September 1973, King once again challenged stale notions of differences between men and women. A self-proclaimed chauvinist Bobby Riggs (1918–1995) challenged King to an exhibition match, where Riggs was to demonstrate both his own superiority and the superiority of his own gender over women.

– The battle of the sexes was a match where women were supposed to be brought back to their roots, sports journalist Sue Mott summarizes the singles.

It was the other way around. King defeated Riggs in three rounds in 57 minutes.

Billie Jean King has been interviewed face-to-face for a documentary series. How would he like to be remembered?

– I am not ready yet. If I looked in the mirror, I would think that the direction is right, says the now 79-year-old star.

Tennis legends today on TV2 at 19:25 & Arena. See all TV programs and broadcast times in Telku’s TV guide.