Billie Jean King Continuing Fight for Pay Equity 50 Years After US Open Stand

Fifty years ago, Billie Jean King risked her career. This week, she’s being honored for it. 

“In ‘72 at the media conference [following her U.S. Open championship], I said we’re not coming back unless we get equal prize money,” King recounted on the Front Office Sports Today podcast. “I hadn’t planned it. I just did it.”

That action — with support from other female players, Open director Bill Talbert, and a Virginia Slims sponsorship King secured — led the U.S. Open to grant equal prize money to men and women. The other tennis grand slams would eventually follow.

King is being honored at Gainbridge’s inaugural Parity Week, a series of events focused on gender pay equity in sports including the Billie Jean King Cup, the ANNIKA, and Women with Drive III.

The ANNIKA, hosted by Annika Sorenstam, will be the first LPGA event named after a former player and will carry the highest prize purse of any LPGA non-major at $3.25 million.

“There’s a lot on stake this year because it’s the final event before the Tour Championship,” Sorenstam told Front Office Sports. “There’s a lot up for grabs: money list, Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, you name it.”

King and her wife Ilana Kloss continue to fight for more opportunities for women in sports through advocacy and entrepreneurship, particularly in drawing more investment in women’s sports. The two of them are launching the Professional Women’s Hockey League this January with Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter, his wife Kimbra, and team president Stan Kasten.

“It’s great that women ice hockey players will finally be able to have the same dreams as the little boys. That’s hugely important,” said Kloss. “But most important is that it will be a growing business and an investment that will pay off.”