Election season is heating up in the United States, and as the crucial decision-making process looms just two weeks away, prominent voices from all corners are making their opinions known. People from all walks of life are weighing in on the candidates they believe in. And the tennis community, known for its strong personalities and values, is no exception. The latest figure to step into the political spotlight? None other than the legendary Billie Jean King who is known not just for her brilliance on the tennis court, but also for her unwavering commitment to activism and equality. 

The 80-year-old tennis veteran took to her social media to wish Vice President Kamala Harris on her birth anniversary. King shared a picture of herself with Harris in the social media post. Remember, the 60-year-old politician is also the Presidential Candidate for the elections representing the Democratic Party. But more than the birthday wish, what caught the attention of the community was the open endorsement of the politician by Billie Jean.

Captioning the post, King wrote, “Happy birthday to @vp Kamala Harris! 🎉.” Continuing further, she tried to amass votes in her favor ahead of the polls. “Let’s all do our part to ensure she’s the next President of the United States!” King wrote further. This clearly signified her support for the Democratic party and her trust in Harris as the next leader of the United States. Interestingly, King is not the only person to have openly supported Harris. 

King’s endorsement of Harris comes just a day after former American player Pam Shiver highlighted similar sentiments for the politician. The 62-year-old highlighted how the situations have changed when compared to the first time she participated in the electoral process to the time when her children are doing so. Tagging Kamala Harris on X. Shiver wrote, “I recall in 1980 at 18 years of age I had a choice to vote for Carter or Reagan—two decent, stable candidates for President. Now in 2024 my 3 kids can vote for president for the 1st time, and they only have one decent and stable choice.” 

The presidential race between Harris and former president Donald Trump has continued to simmer and has become a nail-biter. Both candidates are locked in a very close battle with no clear prediction in sight. Statistics highlight that the outcome will depend heavily on swing states, undecided voters, and voter turnout, especially in crucial battleground regions. Price rises particularly the inflation in grocery items, women’s healthcare, and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East have continued to remain an important topic for the US elections this year. And interestingly, the views of tennis veterans on some of these issues have also landed them in hot waters.

When Martina Navratilova faced criticism for her take on the US Elections 

Just like Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova has never hesitated to speak her heart out. She has been vocal about her opinion be it related to tennis or her life outside of it. But when she openly tried to express her support for the Democratic Party on X, she ended up witnessing some criticism. 

The controversy took place after Navratilova shared a post that claimed 11 out of 12 key economic measures improved under Biden’s presidency compared to when he assumed office in 2021. Reposting the data, Navratilova wrote, “Hmm. It seems things are better under a Democrat than under a Republican. Meaning Biden is a LOT  better for our economy than Trump. Who knew? I did.”

Commenting on her post, a user wrote, “You obviously don’t shop for your own groceries or pay your own car insurance bill.” But the former player seemed in no mood to take an offense. Slamming the critic, Navratilova responded, “I absolutely do. And I live in Florida where all insurance has skyrocketed thanks to our lovely governor. Actually just came back from Publix- why don’t you ask the owner of that chain to stop price gouging???”

As the polls now inch closer, it would be interesting to see if more players or experts like Billie Jean King and Navratilova come out to express their support for Democrats or the Republicans.