Published: September 19, 2008
September 23rd marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of
Billie Jean King beating Bobby Riggs in the historic Battle of the Sexes.
Americans tuned into their televisions in record numbers to watch the match which carried massive symbolism during the Women's Movement. The Houston Astrodome was electric with anticipation of the match, as King was ushered in on a queen's throne.
"I thought it would set us back 50 years if I didn't win," said King, a 12-time Grand Slam singles tournament winner and six-time Wimbledon champion.
She beat Riggs handily in three sets and with a toss of her racquet into the air, changed the course of American history. The match drew enormous attention and beyond advancing perceptions of women's tennis in a time of inequality, it was a powerful stride for the women's movement in general.
"Most important perhaps for women everywhere, she convinced skeptics that a female athlete can survive pressure-filled situations and that men are as susceptible to nerves as women," The
New York Times said.
The Battle of the Sexes was not the first of the last of King's activism. One year later, she founded the Women's Sports Foundation to carry on her new vision of women's empowerment in sport. In honor of the anniversary of this critical point in the evolution of women's sports, the Women's Sports Foundation worked with
USA TODAY to published a special insert on Thursday to take a
deeper look at the match and take the temperature of women's sports thirty-five years later.
In addition, we've compiled a photo gallery of the
35 Most Memorable Moments in Women's Sports since Billie beat Bobby.
Help us make sure that the legacy of Equal Play lives on for the next generation of female athletes by
donating today.