Billie Jean King sends birthday wishes to 'dear friend' John McEnroe
Former American tennis professional Billie Jean King wished seven-time Grand Slam singles winner John McEnroe on his 64th birthday.
The eldest of the McEnroe brothers, John McEnroe has won seven Grand Slam singles titles and nine Grand Slam doubles titles. During his career, McEnroe was famous for his "bad-boy" attitude. His fiery temperament and on-court outbursts have made him a controversial figure in the sport.
King, a former World No. 1 turned to Twitter to post a selfie with McEnroe and wished the latter on his birthday.
"Wishing a very happy birthday to my dear friend, John McEnroe!," Billie Jean King captioned her tweet.
Wishing a very happy birthday to my dear friend, John McEnroe! 🎊 https://t.co/eWlPumeh05
It's worth noting that Billie Jean King and John McEnroe have a long-standing friendship and mutual respect. In fact, they have played together in mixed doubles events, and King has been a vocal supporter of McEnroe's efforts to promote gender equality in tennis and sports in general.
Billie Jean King earlier paid tribute to her mother and Arthur Ashe on their respective death anniversaries
Billie Jean King has been an influential figure in the fight for gender equality in sports. King was the winner of the famous "Battle of the Sexes" match in 1973 when she defeated three-time Grand Slam singles winner Bobby Riggs in three sets.
Currently, the American has a strong presence on social media, especially Twitter. Last week, Billie Jean King remembered her mother on the anniversary of her death. On February 7, the former World No. 1 took to Twitter to pay tribute to her mother.
"9 years ago today, on February 7, 2014, my mother, Betty Moffitt passed away. One of my great joys was fulfilling her dreams in her later years, including meeting Tony Bennett. I wish I could tell her how much she meant to me. Who would you thank if you could?", she tweeted.
King reflected on her mother's influence on her life and career, as well as the lasting legacy she left behind.
On the anniversary (February 6) of Arthur Ashe's death, King reflected on his accomplishments. She implied that Ashe's memory would live on.
"30 years ago today, the world lost Arthur Ashe to AIDS. Arthur Ashe was the first Black man to win men's singles at #Wimbledon, #USOpen and #AusOpen. His memory lives on," she wrote in her tweet.
Ashe was a prominent figure in the sport who represented the United States of America. He won three Grand Slam singles titles, including Wimbledon, the US Open, and the Australian Open. He was also the first African-American to represent the United States in the Davis Cup.