"The truth was we were friends"- Billie Jean King remembers Battle of the Sexes rival Bobby Riggs on his 105th birth anniversary
Billie Jean King remembered her Battle of the Sexes rival Bobby Riggs on his 105th birthday.
Riggs was among the best players of his time, winning Wimbledon in 1939 and the US Open in 1939 and 1941. However, he is best remembered for the Battle of the Sexes matches during the 1970s.
Riggs took on Margaret Court in May 1973 in California and beat her 6-2, 6-1. A few months later, in September, he faced Billie Jean King in Houston, and the latter beat him 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. Riggs, who was a gambler, died in 1995, aged 77.
Billie Jean King took to Twitter to remember her Battle of the Sexes rival on his 105th birth anniversary and recall their meeting in Houston. She also claimed that while many thought that Riggs and herself were enemies, in reality, they were friends.
Billie Jean King tweeted:
"Bobby Riggs was born February 25, 1918 and today he would have turned 105 years young, Yikes. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Battle of the Sexes, where I played Bobby at the Houston Astrodome in front of a worldwide audience of over 90 million people."
It's Bobby Riggs' birthday, and there's something you should know.
#BattleOfTheSexes https://t.co/o4fRA4Ka05
She added:
"It was about much more than tennis. It was a great day to celebrate equality. As for Bobby and me, many thought we were bitter enemies. The truth was we were friends. I'm thinking about you today on your birthday Bobby and I'll be thinking about you again in September. Love you."
Billie Jean King remembered Muhammad Ali on his 81st birth anniversary
Billie Jean King remembered boxing legend Muhammad Ali on his 81st birth anniversary earlier this year. The former World No. 1 claimed that Ali would always call her a queen whenever they ran into one another.
Billie Jean King tweeted:
"Today would have been Muhammad Ali's 81st birthday. Whenever we would run into each other, he would whisper in my ear, 'Billie Jean, you're the queen'. He is a legend whose legacy continues today."
King recently spoke on "Equity, Influence, and the Next Generation in Sports" at Seton Hall University and was asked if women’s sports came close to achieving absolute equality with men's sports.
The former World No. 1 claimed that equality in sports was just getting started and that women's sports were far behind men's.
King said:
“No, we’re not even starting. This is just getting started. We’re so far behind."