American tennis has a rich history of successful tennis players. From the likes of Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi to the Williams sisters, these players have graced the sport during their legendary careers. Further, amongst them was Billie Jean King, who went on to become one of the most successful players the sport has ever seen.
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Over her career spanning around 25 years, she went on to win 39 Grand Slam titles across formats. She has 12 major singles titles, 16 women’s doubles Grand Slam titles, and the rest in mixed doubles. Moreover, apart from her on-court success, Billie was at the forefront of the fight for gender equality in sports.
Recently, Emmanuel Macron was re-elected as the President of France. Subsequently, Billie Jean King congratulated him on his second term.
Billie Jean King congratulates Emmanuel Macron on his thumping victory
The American legend took to Twitter to express her happiness about Macron’s re-election as the President of France. She said, “Congratulations to Emmanuel Macron on winning re-election in France. Macron is the first French leader to be reelected in 20 years.”
Congratulations to Emmanuel Macron on winning re-election in France.
Macron is the first French leader to be reelected in 20 years. https://t.co/ycoiltU0N6
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) April 25, 2022
The French President won by a comfortable margin of 58.55% to 41.45% against his rival, Marine Le Pen. However, the election was marred by voter abstention as 28% abstained from voting, according to the French Interior Ministry. Moreover, this percentage was the highest in more than 50 years.
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Earlier this month, Wimbledon decided to bar Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in this year’s tournament owing to mounting tensions in Eastern Europe. This left the tennis fraternity divided, with some supporting this decision, while others speaking against it.
However, Billie Jean King took to Twitter to strongly criticize Wimbledon’s decision. She said, “Tennis is stronger when we stand together, and our continued support of the Tennis Plays for Peace initiative, which provides meaningful financial support and resources to Ukraine, needs to be our focus.”
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Do you feel Wimbledon was right in banning players based on their nationality? Let us know your views in the comments below.