Tennis Legend Billie Jean King Issues Statement on Presidential Election

Billie Jean King shared her thoughts on the US Presidential Election with fans on social media.

Tennis legend Billie Jean King speaks during a press conference before watching the first day of the Billie Jean King Cup competition between the US and Ukraine at the Harrah's Cherokee Center in Asheville April 15, 2022. / Maya Carter/Asheville Citizen Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

Currently, the world's best women's tennis players are competing in the WTA Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It would be impossible to talk about the rise of women's sports without noting the trailblazing work of Billie Jean King.

The former World No. 1 tennis player won 39 Grand Slam titles: 12 in singles, 16 in women's doubles, and 11 in mixed doubles. Throughout her legendary career, King was a pioneer for gender equality.

Thanks to her stellar reputation in the sports world, King is one of the most important voices in tennis. Following the United States Presidential Election, King issued a statement across all of her social media platforms.

My thoughts on the election. pic.twitter.com/APHx9KMlLI

— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) November 6, 2024

"Throughout my life, I have fought many battles that at the time seemed daunting and unwinnable," wrote the winner of 1973's Battle of the Sexes tennis exhibition.

She continued, "However, each one taught me a valuable lesson, and that lesson is this: we must never stop working to create the future we want to leave for the next generation. The results of the U.S. presidential election have left many of us angry and confused. But this loss is feedback, not failure."

King concluded, "As Vice President Harris said today, 'The light of America's promise will always burn bright as long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting.' Let's do this together."

.@BillieJeanKing has spent her life fighting for equality.

That's why she's Sports Illustrated's 2021 Muhammad Ali Legacy Award recipient 👏 https://t.co/3pNEf7oLtF pic.twitter.com/dIz9iRiqX1

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) December 2, 2021

King has a resume that is unmatched by any modern athlete. Her many accolades date back to winning the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year in 1967 and becoming the first female athlete ever to be named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year in 1972.

New tennis players and fans learn about King every year when watching the US Open. The USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park was rededicated as the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in 2006.

The WTA season is not yet over as the WTA Finals are in full swing. Tennis fans can follow Sports Illustrated's Serve on SI for all the most important news from the sport.

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