your birthday you are celebrating, exceptionally, ever. Actually, the American Tennis legend Billie Jean King on Thursday will be 75 years old, but the big Party with John McEnroe, Maria Sharapova, Emma Stone & co. there was already in the past week.
it was opened in New York, the photo exhibition “Billie Jean King: The Road to 75”, thanked the jubilarian later on Twitter for an “unforgettable evening”.
celebrities from Sport, politics and show business had come to pay tribute to a personality, which is often dubbed as an icon or legend in their sports. Twelve Grand Slam victories in singles, has won the King from 1966 to 1975, she brought one of the few indoor title in all of the four major tournaments.
their last win as an active Athlete, she is celebrated on December 6. June 1983 as a 39-Year-old – King is today the oldest singles winner on the initiator and co-founder, in 1973, launched the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA).
But almost as significant as their sporting merits of the Work and the words of Billie Jean King outside of the square are today. It is regarded as a pioneer of professional women’s Tennis and fought for the equal treatment to men – not only on the tennis court. In the history of the battle, and famous as Oslobet the “battle of the sexes” fame, and with Emma Stone and Steve Carell in the main roles of King and Bobby Riggs was filmed.
“Battle of the Sexes – Against every rule” plays in the year 1973. The then 55-year-old former Wimbledon Champion Riggs – a self-proclaimed “chauvinist pig” – was already in the Tennis-retirement, as he called for the 29-year-old top athlete who is King to an exhibition match. The legendary gender-was the duel fought in front of more than 30,000 spectators at the Houston Astrodome in Texas. 50 million watched worldwide on TV as King defeated her fellow American in three sets 6:4, 6:3, 6:3 .
King was with the bat in Hand, a passionate fighter on the court. With the tool of words she struggles even today – is no less passionate. In the social networks she is amazingly active. Most recently, she spoke out for a common player organization with the men; after the US Open finals and the fight between Serena Williams and the referee King denounced a double standard and different standards for men and women in the punishment.
as the Frenchwoman Alizé Cornet during the tournament, a forfeit received because you took off your Shirt on the court to turn it over, and for a few seconds in sports bra standing there, scolded King over outdated rules. Never hid, always positioned and articulated. Once married, she now lives in a lesbian relationship.
your word weight in the world of Tennis – but also, and especially, beyond. German Chancellor Angela Merkel referred to it recently in the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Sunday newspaper” as a model for humanity. “You are doing a fantastic job, she is a great example of what can be reached are women, how you change the world. It would be a dream to meet you once to know.”
dpa