Tennis legend Billie Jean King bashed critics who believed female athletes would crumble under pressure. The 39-time Grand Slam champion said her doubters had “miscalculated” when it came to her.
Billie Jean King blasted critics who claimed female athletes would crack under pressure
The 82-year-old’s legacy is getting the spotlight it deserves. Her trailblazing career will be explored in Give Me the Ball!, a new ESPN 30 for 30 documentary premiering on November 22. The documentary is directed by Liz Garbus and Elizabeth Wolff.
PEOPLE, which got an exclusive first look, reports that the trailer highlights King’s impact, describing her as “this gritty competitor and a charismatic star.” Serena Williams, who also appeared in the trailer, called King an essential figure in sports, saying, “I think that every sport needs a Billie Jean King.”
King, who defeated former men’s champion Bobby Riggs in a famous televised Battle of the Sexes match in 1973, then reflects, telling viewers that “I was fighting for equality.” She said, “If I lost, I was gonna put us back decades. I have to win. It’s that simple. I have to win.”
King opened up about how the pressure affected her, admitting she was “a mess.” Her close friend Sir Elton John also reflected on the difficult moment, saying, “It was difficult for her.” King then quipped in the trailer, “Everyone thought I was totally choking. Of course, girls always choke, right?” She looked back at those who doubted her and declared, “Big mistake. They miscalculated on me.” The legend also reflected on the chance she had to “change the hearts and minds of people.”
Talking about her, director and producer Elizabeth Wolff said, as per ESPN Press Room, “Billie Jean sits alongside Jackie Robinson and Muhammad Ali as the most influential athletes of the 20th century. Yet, unlike her male counterparts, most folks born after her heyday don’t know her name.”
