"It would ruin the women’s tour and affect all women’s self esteem"- When Billie Jean King described significance of Battle of the Sexes win

Billie Jean King has been a pioneer when it comes to the advancement of women's tennis. She had a glittering tennis career, winning 12 Grand Slam singles titles and 27 Grand Slam doubles crowns.

However, King will always be remembered for being an advocate for equal pay and being instrumental in the foundation of the WTA Tour. The American's victory over Bobby Riggs in the famous "Battle of the Sexes" match in 1973 is one of the most historic moments in the sport.

Speaking before that match, King said that she took the fixture very seriously.

“I’m taking this match very seriously. I welcome the responsibility and the pressure. Bobby had better be ready," the former World No. 1 said.

King beat then-55-year-old Riggs 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 at the Houston Astrodome, with 90 million viewers watching.

Speaking after the match, King spoke about the importance of the contest, claiming that had she lost, women's tennis would have suffered a major setback. She also stated that the women's tour could have been ruined and their self-esteem would have been affected.

"I thought it would set us back 50 years if I didn’t win that matc.It would ruin the women’s tour and affect all women’s self esteem," King opined.

Riggs praised King's performance after the match, saying that she was too good on the day.

“She was too good. She played very well. It was over too quickly," Riggs said.

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Billie Jean King's match against Bobby Riggs is one of many instances when a female tennis player was up against her male counterpart

Billie Jean King at the 2023 Australian Open

The match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs was one of several occasions when a female tennis player was up against her male colleague. Riggs had previously faced Margaret Court, winning 6-2, 6-1.

A man and a woman had previously squared off on the tennis court in 1933 when Phil Neer took on Helen Wills and won 6-3, 6-4. Later, in 1992, Jimmy Connors and Martina Navratilova locked horns in an exhibition match at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, with the former winning 7-5, 6-2.

Another highly popular match between the opposite sexes happened in 1998, when Karsten Braasch took on Serena Williams and Venus Williams, back when the sisters claimed they could beat any man ranked outside the Top 200. Braasch, then ranked World No. 203, took up the challenge and played a set against each sister. He beat Serena 6-1 while triumphing 6-2 over Venus.