Today, some women’s tennis players are among the highest-paid athletes in the world. But that wasn’t always the case. Equal pay was a long fought battle by the same women playing the game, including the legendary Billie Jean King.
The PBS NewsHour’s @amnaonpbs spoke with King at this year’s U.S. Open as the tournament marked 50 years since it became the first U.S. sporting event to offer equal prize money for men and women.
“One thing that we stressed in the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) and the older players at that time, when we started was, this is a platform. We have an opportunity,” King said. “We actually have an obligation to help make this world a better place.”
This post was produced and edited by Anne Azzi Davenport, Cecilia Lallmann, Matt Rasnic, Julia Griffin and Yasmeen Alamiri.
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