There was a time when women’s tennis did not get the attention that it needed. Cometh Billie Jean King and things started to change a lot. She laid the foundation of the modern-day WTA and stood for the equal rights of women. This eventually helped them get the stature that they needed. That was also a time when a young tennis sensation, with the name of Chris Evert, took the tennis world by storm with her strong game sense and a knack for glory.

But, her introduction to the world of tennis was not great at all. She was criticized and did not receive the respect that she deserved. The same is happening with Caitlin Clark in the WNBA. Highly regarded as one of the most exceptional basketball players at the moment, she is not getting the value that she deserves. Reflecting on the same, Martina Navratilova, a legend of the sport took to X (formerly Twitter) to highlight the same concern. Soon after that, a user brought nostalgia as he highlighted the Chris Evert incident.

Replying to the same, Chris Evert suggested that yes, there was a time when she had to go through all the criticism but it was Billie Jean King who constantly stood up for her and supported her. She then hoped that basketball also follows the same steps and concluded by saying that she is the future of the sport. “yes, there was jealousy towards me… It didn’t feel good. I was just a teenager. BJK stood up for me I hope women’s basketball follows suit. @CaitlinClark22 is making the sport better,” said Evert in her tweet while extending her support to Caitlin Clark.

Apparently, Caitlin Clark has been under a lot of scrutiny from the WNBA players. It is said that she is getting unwanted hate from the players. Thus, Chris Evert, a legend of the game made a blunt admission about her early playing years and how she would often face criticism.

She further added that she does not hope Caitlin Clark goes through the same stuff and the higher basketball authorities do what Billie Jean King, at one point did for her. Interestingly, Billie Jean King not only stood in support of players but was also one of the key figures behind one of the biggest revolutions in tennis.

Apart from supporting Chris Evert, Billie Jean took one of the major revolutionary steps for the betterment of women’s tennis

Billie Jean King, who was a part of the Original 9 (a group of 9 professional women tennis players) raised her voice for the betterment of women’s tennis and signed a $1 contract. This was signed to protest against the inequality that they got in the prize money in any tournament.

While this was a very risky move for them, what just started as a revolution eventually paved the way for the formation of the modern-day WTA. All their efforts paid off in 1973 when the US Open became the first major tournament that pledged to offer equal prize money for both men and women in tennis. Thus, when it comes to tennis, Billie Jean King’s revolutionary act will always be remembered.