Leave it to The Real Housewives of New York to be the ones to bring Billie Jean King back into the public conversation. For those not invested in the world of tennis, it makes sense that King’s name is a bit of an unknown to you. But thanks to Jenna Lyons, many are getting the chance to learn about one of the biggest names in tennis, as well as a trailblazer for women in the sport.
Recommended VideosIn the latest episode of RHONY season 14, Lyons was discussing with the girls about her experiences coming out in her youth. Being that Lyons is in her mid ‘50s, the LGBTQ+ movement was nowhere near as strong as it is today. For a young lesbian during that time, they didn’t have Ellen DeGeneres, Kristen Stewart, or Wanda Sykes to look up to. One of the few out women at the time, King was truly a role model for queer women everywhere.
Of course, when the other housewives heard Lyons mention Billie Jean King, the entire group rung out with a bewildered “Who?” The last time King professionally competed in any tennis tournament was 1990, so it makes sense her name has fallen out of the general public’s minds. But that doesn’t make King any less of a tennis legend, nor an excellect LGBTQ+ role model.
Breaking barriers in tennis
Starting at the young age of 15, Billie Jean King got her start working with some of the greatest coaches of that time, including Alice Marble, who was a multi-time Grand Slam winner herself in the ‘30s and ‘40s. In 1961, King and Karen Hantze became the youngest team to win the Wimbledon women’s doubles title, and repeated the victory in 1962.
While she quickly rose the ranks throughout the 60s, King’s career between 1966 to 1975 is arguably her most successful era. Out of 25 Grand Slam tournament appearances, King took home the crown in 12 of them. 1966 saw King’s first singles win at Wimbledon, and 1967 saw King do something only her former coach Marble did: Take home the crown in singles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles at both Wimbledon and the U.S. Championships.
The Battle of the Sexes
Arguably King’s biggest cultural moment, though, was her internationally-televised exhibition match against Bobby Riggs in 1973. Riggs was a star on the men’s tennis circuit famously known for criticizing the women’s tennis circuit, claiming they were vastly inferior and that at 55 years old, he could still easily beat any top female player. Riggs had previously beat Margaret Court, another top female during King’s time, in a game of singles similar to his match against Riggs.
With $100,000 on the line, at the Houston Astrodome, King took on Riggs’ challenge to beat him in a winner-takes-all match. Taking him down in 3 sets, King was declared the winner of the so-called “Battle of the Sexes.” The story of the historic match as well as parts of King’s life were turned into a biopic also called Battle of the Sexes, starring Emma Stone as King and Steve Carrell as Riggs.
Unintentionally becoming a gay icon
During her successful decade, King was struggling internally with her sexuality. In the HBO Sports documentary Billie Jean King: Portrait of a Pioneer, King revealed that she knew by 1968 that she was attracted to women, not men. Even though she had been married to Larry King for over 3 years at that point, she didn’t know what to do, as it was far from socially acceptable to be gay during that time.
Starting in 1971, King had an affair with Marilyn Barnett, who she hired as her personal assistant to cover their relationship. The affair allegedly continued until 1979, when the Kings asked Barnett to vacate their home that she had been living in rent-free up until that point. When Barnett refused, she threatened to leak receipts, letters, and other personal documents that would out her relationship with King.
Barnett eventually sued King in 1981 in a pailmony lawsuit, officially outing their relationship to the world. King did acknowledge the relationship, though claiming it was just a fling and nothing serious, making her the first female athlete to officially come out. In an interview later on with The Sunday Times, King said one of the main reasons she didn’t come out sooner was because she couldn’t bring herself to tell her parents, as they were severely homophobic.
Though she was forced out of the closet, King quickly became a symbol of hope for LGBTQ+ people. However, she wasn’t shunned by the tennis community either, as she was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1987. Billie Jean and Larry King did eventually get divorced, as she fell in love with her doubles partner Ilana Kloss, who she still is with today.
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