>> we hope that some of these stories have inspired you to get involved and do your part because you, too, can be somebody's hero. thank you and good night. [ cheers and applause ] what's it like being billie jean king? >> i have no idea. i think since i was young, i mean i told my mother at 7, mommy, mommy, i'm going to do something great with my life. i know it. i can feel i it. >> being billie jean king means knknowing from the beginning sh was destined for greatness. >> i knew the first t time i we off to getet free inststructionh in lonong beach, i i knew at t d of thahat session n i wanted t the numbmber one tenennis playe the worlrld. >> h how old werere you? >> i was 1 11. that w was only ththe second t picked up a racket. >> she quickly fell in love with the sport but also quickly noticed deep inequities in tennis that reflected the same about ththe world. >> at t 12, i was s playing ata los angegeles tennisis club. all the big tournamements were therere. i i was sittining in the s stan kindnd of daydrereaming. itit was kind d of late inin th afternoon.n. i started d realizing g wore wh shoes,s, white clolothes, playa withth white balalls. eveverybody whwho played w was . and i i asked myseself, where e eveverybody elelse?? whwhere's evererybody elsese? that w was the momoment i decic wowould champipion equalitity tt of my life. but t i knew tenennis would d ae to h have that opportunityty if could d be good enenough. > so your d drive to be a te champipion went hahand in hand yoyour drive t to be an acactiv? >> absololutely. what it is, is a platftform. but atat 12, i envnvisioned ana visualalized the p platform beb i i knew tenninis was globobal, wawanted to trtravel. but my pararents, we d didn't h the money to allow us to travel like that. so thahat was also a a driving force, t that i would d have tod a way. my pararents couldn'n't do it e if they wanted to. my dad was a firefighter. my mother was a homemaker at the time. >> it wouldn't take long for her to become a champion when at 17 years old, she and her 18-year-old partner became the youngest doubles team to win a wimbledon title. five years later, she was a wimbledon singles champion. >> billie, i think everybody would like to know how does it feelel to be thehe new champmp? >> i'm verery excited.d. right now i can n hardly beleli i'i've won, anand i probabably realize e it until t tomorrow. >> telell me aboutut the rackek. the new york historical society stores artifacts of what made her r great for r future genenes to see. >> c clark and i were the e fir playayers to usese this in 1 19 the u.s. n nationals, , which ie u.s. o open. and i wowon, but thihis is stee. one e thing you dodon't want to is hit y your -- god, , i hit m knee one time on a slice backhand. >> billie jean king of america isis seeking herer third consece singles tititle. >> she bececame the top-p-ranke female playeyer in the 196960s used her fame and influence to speak out, struggling to convince the underpaid women players to organize and create an association with bargaining power. more on that later. this is s saved fromom the most watched d match of h her life. in fact, o one of the e most wad mamatches everer in tennisis. >> thahat's the prprogram at t kingng/riggs matatch. ththat was actctually the e mag >> thahat's someththing. >> the epic tennis match between 29-year-old billie jean king and 55-year-old bobby riggs, a former u.s. national and wimbledon champion turned selflf-promotingng hustler. the 191973 event, , 50 years a woululd be forevever known a as battle of f the sexes.s."" >> w we announceced it afterer wimbmbledon, andnd then it w wa and d running. everybodody was talklking about. people h had partieses. they had t the -- the e betting las s vegas was s out of sight. evererybody was involveded. it's a amazing bececause i thihr ththe first time s some peoplel stopopped and ththought abouout own gegender. how do they relate to the opposisite gender?r? >> here e the blue s sneakers m just foror her. >> i s said i needed a colorede for r the next y year becaususe have telelevision, a and it's i color r now. i plplayed with h blue shoeses kingng/riggs matatch. >> did you help design it? >> i helped as far as -- >> besides the color? >> i helped -- what i did is i called up adidas, and i went to -- i said, may i come there to the factory? so i went over. they were in shock. they said, what? no athlelete has evever wanted cocome here. i said, wewell, i do.. i went t through thehe whole fay and ththanked eachch person. >> that t is also papart of bei billie jeaean king, coconnectin with peoeople no matatter who t are e or what ththey do. seseeing them m as equal, , whi also parart of her s strategy t win. >> i it was the daday before t match. i i went and m met everyonone a arena,a, at the asastrodome. i memet the admiministratorsrs.. i memet the secucurity guardrds because what can happen, if you get lost in an arena, that is not good. and that h happens allll the tif we havaven't playeyed there beb >> here cocomes billieie jean k > a massive televevision audience, 90 million people worlrldwide watctched as shehe dramaticic entrance onto the court. >> i dididn't see ththe king/ri matctch until 2525 years aftfte mamatch. >> realllly? >> yeaeah, and i w wish i had d it, , though, bebecause it w wa cleaear in 1973 3 where we'r're howard cososell talkeded about my looooks. > very attrtractive yououng anand sometimemes you get t the feeling ththat if she e ever ler hair grorow down to o her shoul anand took herer glasses o off, have somomebody vyining for a hollllywood screen test. > only my l looks.. he t talked abouout bobby's s - knowow, what he'e'd done, lilik of famer, , all his accomplishshments, rigight? >> o one hasn't t seen in evevi the e famed bobbbby riggs lolob much tononight, genene. >> so when i watch howard cosell 25 years later, yeah, i don't like it because he is exactly what we're trying to get rid of, and he was doing it 100%. >> the battle of the sexes would become a huge moment for female athletes a and women f far beyo sports. >> i'm tryrying to helelp women women'n's sports, and everyone really. i was like totally f focused. i knew it t was one momoment i to helelp change t the hearts a minds s of people,e, and why n n those?e? itit's a greatat opportuninity.. thatat's how i l looked add d i. lilike i want t the ball. give m me the ballll. gigive me the e ball. i i love this.s. when i walked out there, i was going to serve and volley, and then i decided i wasn't going to just serve and volley. i was just going to run him into the ground. he underestimated me, which is what he said when he jumped the net. >> she beat riggs in three straight sets, suddenly catapulting her, s she says, to the e forefront t of variousus justice e movements. weeks s after the e match, she e at a u.s. senate subcommittee about the proposed women's educational equity act. >> i just t related mymy own pepersonal expxperiences a as a, the coconditioningng that we g throrough as a g girl that want bebe an athlete.e. >> so muchch happened in 1973. >> y yes, it's a huge pivotal lr for me personally and for the sport of tennis. >> you were named associated press female athlete of the year. you started the women's tennis associatioion 50 years ago. >> mm-hmhmm. you know w what i'm really prou of as an athlete, though?? i won alall three atat wimbledo. i i won the sisingles, dououble mixed. and ththat doesn't't happen vev often. you don't t win three e titles the majojors very ofoften, or t say y slams todaday. comingng up -- >> arere you happypy on the coc todaday? > yes. >> w when an up p and comingng champion b bumps into o one of idolols -- > if billieie says somemethiu have to o remember. >> and we get to witness it. >> you know what you're doing well now? your contact pointnt. and d later -- >> i thought about it because everyone wanted me to. i get people coming up to me saying, i wish you'd r run for office. being billie jean king means having this iconic tennis center in flushing meadow, home of the u.s. open, named for you. >> i still cannot believe it! >> she remembers her shock getting the news from the u.s. tennisis associatition presided >> we're going to name the center after you. i'm like, i did not hear this right. there's no way i heard that. >> she did, and it happened during a grand ceremony in 2006. >> i hereby officially dedicate the usta billie jean king national tennis center. congratulations. >> that's so nice. > now you d drive up onon th hihighway and d it says bjbjk t center. >> you never know. just keep trying to do the right thining. >> we wewere with heher just ass yearar's u.s. opopen was statar. she showowed us whatat the stad looks like from a player's point of view. >> this is where you go on to ashe s stadium. >> a at the entrtrance of arart ashehe stadium, , centre couour the u.u.s. open, a a plaque wiwe of her famamous sayingngs. tell m me about ththe sign. tetell me abouout this sayaying >> "prpressure is s a privilege" this hapappened duriring fed cu which h is world c cup of womem tennisis in las vegas. >> it t just poppeped into youo head? >> thahat's what h happens witi. ththat's the w way i do a a lot stuff. i jujust love it becausese it's soso -- it's s so true. itit just reminds me persosonal itit's such a a privilege toto ththis sport. . >> as we're talking, the newest phenom in women's tennis, coco gauff,f, walks off t the court r practice. >> hello. >> and i quote you all the time. >> you do?o? >> i sayay pressure e is a prive all l the time. . >> at ththis moment,t, the 19-yeaear-old tennnnis prodigyg won multipiple wta tititles but yet the u.u.s. open. >> i've e met her a a couple ti and mymy favorite e was at theh billieie jean kingng cup this s. and d you said h how much itit hohonor to repepresent youour c and thatat we shouldld carry ourselves s accordinglgly. >> y yeah, that't's good. see? this is what you love about the young ones. they remember! coco particularly. >> if billie says something, you have to remember. >> notot really. >> gauauff's respepect and admirationon for king g is palp. >> i sawaw you hittiting earlie >> i l love hittining. >> one of f these daysys i have hihit with youou. >> oh, n no. no, , these kidsds are too g go. >> i'm s sure you'llll be all r. >> youou hit too h hard. >> i can s slow it dowown if yo needed.. >> y you know whwhat you're e d reallyly well now?w? >> w what? >> your r contact popoint. >> yeaeah, i've bebeen workingn itit. thank you. thanks, billie. >> good luck, okay? one ball at a time. >> this is all because of you. we appreciate it. >> coco gauff would go on to win her first u.s. open title two weeks later. >> coco o gauff! >> c can you putut into rdike e for so m many years s at the hit levevel of your r sport? >> i j just love t to play. i love t to hit the e ball.. i ststill do.. it's's magical. . > but i likike to hit t the and i'm m not a chamampion. >> i i like to p perform toooo.. the e tennis couourt is our sta. i see a tetennis courtrt in any plplace in thehe world, i i jusa cocourt, i getet pumped. i go, that's o our stage. . >> youou're obviouously playini win,n, but you'r're playing g ft you call t the audiencnce. >> c correct. >> which i it would nenever occo me. > oh, realllly? > that you u would be s seek yoururself as a a performer. >> o oh, absolutely,y, since i started. oh, absosolutely. >> walkiking throughgh the hall champipions, she e explains whw tatakes to be e one. thesese pictureses are like e y champions.s. >> thehere's connonors, seles,s althea g gibson. >> what dodoes it takeke to be chchampion? >> god hasas to give y you the >> y you said you u figured ouo early y the differerence betwew being a chchampion andnd everyo elelse is the e ability toto lir gagame when yoyou're underer th grgreatest preressure? >> thahat's true. ththe championons, the grereat they'll bebe playing a along. but when it gets tight in a match, there are certain points you have to win, and that's when you can raise your game a level. >> what's it like to be a champion, to have -- >> you have to make a commitment before you serve or receive. it's got t to be totalal focus commitmentnt, like i m might visualizize i'm goining to servt wide, cover ththe line. >> youou see it? >> i seeee it beforere i do it. and there'e's total cocommitmen >> desespite her o otherworldld achievevements andnd icon stata >> heyey, coach. hi, , dad. how w are you? >> -- - being billllie jean kik approachabable, genuininely inteterested in n others shehe especiallyly young peoeople. >> hi. whwhat's happepening? >> nicice meeting g you. >> nice memeeting you u too. >> s she's singiging the antheh >> d didn't you u sing it sosom else?? >> a at billie j jean king c cu > i remembeber you. you u were unbelelievable. >> thank y you so muchch. >> d do you singng too, or d do lilike somethihing else? what do yoyou like? >> doctor.r. >> whahat? >> dococtor. > wow, excecellent. go foror it, okay?y? just b be happy, o okay? > she's echchoing her p pare advicece. >> m my parents s were greatat. they w weren't helelicopter pap, you knowow. i see e it all thehe time witht kids. >> oh, s sure. >> they wawant their c child to number one all the time. i'm like give them some space,e you knknow? justst let them m be who thehey gogoing to be,e, but be susuppo. of coursrse i'm justst reiterat whatat my parentnts did, so o i lulucky. >> it workrked out foror you. fofor a champipion like kiking, happinesess can be c complicate during comompetition. yoyou say winnnning is elalatio then relieief, but lososing, lo is whahat you're t trying to a >> i hate e losing. it's so papainful. > but you'r're trying t to a losising more ththan -- >> more ththan winningng almost >> t the euphoriria of winninin > there's a a big part t of sometitimes, absololutely. ththe pain nevever really y goe. performamance is verery fleetin. lilike when yoyou're holdiding trophy u up, u.s. opopen, or an tournanament, on t the tour oro anytything, on t the wta touour such a pririvilege to o be hold it up. but it's g gone. it's just whoo in the wind forever. >> which is why despite racking up 39 grand slam singles and doubles s championshships, inclg a rerecord 20 tititles at wimbledon n -- >> i made e a very cononscious choice whehen i was ququite you that i k knew i woululdn't win manyny titles, b but i wanteted change t the sport.. so y you have toto decide bebec you're n not going to win asas ifif you spendnd time off f the trying t to change t things. >> up nextxt, what bilillie jea king l learned in n her fight t equaual prize momoney here a at u.s. opepen. >> you canan dream allll you wa. you've got to be in for the long game. you have to be patient, persistent. >> and later, ththe now 8080-year-old d is open ababout. >> i h have experirienced ageisw totoo. >> r really? > yeah, andnd it's not t fun >> how s so? >> just people kind of giving up on you. they don't think you're any good. [upbeat music] ♪♪ ♪♪ new pork carnitas. only at el pollo loco. (♪♪) (♪♪) the new festive family meal. starting at $24. now celebrating at el pollo loco. being billie jean king is being the face of equal pay in tennis, , literally.y. > oh, my gogosh. >> that't's pretty c cool. >> it t is totallyly cool. >> and t they're allll over the place hehere. >> i c can't get a away. i got toto close my y eyes. >> her i image on poposters all overer, marking g a pivotal l anniniversary, 5 50 years ofof prize moneney for womemen at th u.s. o open, part t of a missisr eqequal pay shshe rememberers i excrcruciating d detail. >> tenennis becameme professioin 1968. what that t means is i i finallt money.y. i used t to get -- w we used to a per r diem of $1$14 a day. we tooook tennis f from amateue toto being a p professionanal s >> serveves. it's out. billie jean has done it again. for the third time, her name gogoes on the huhuge plate. >> in 1968, rod laver won wimbledon. he got 2,000 pounds. i won wiwimbledon and d got 750 pounds. and i had fought so hard, and a lot of us had fought so hard for professional open tennis. finally we have it, and then i get thisis check. what is s it? 37.5% ofof what rod d laver got. i go, ththat's goingng to be anr challengnge now. i wewent, oh, nono. my heart sanank when i g got th chcheck. it's just like, oh, no, now i got to fight for this. >> frustration with disparity in prize money would boil over in 1970 when, in protest, king helped lead a revolt. women players announced they were creating their own tournament. they risked it all, signing $1 contracts with the tournament promoter, and then they played. >> we had an eight-woman tournament, and that is the birth of women's professional tennis. but then what? we need a tour. >> weeks later, the start of a professional women's tour was announced. ♪ ♪ you've come a long way, baby ♪ >> so we got very lucky. virginia slims came in and made a big difference with the money. bubut we just -- you know, i lo back, and d we're justst so luc so fortunate that wewe had peop who wanteded this to h happen a were ablble -- >> but was it luck? >> well, i think it took a lot of -- i i don't knowow. i don'n't know if f it's luck k not. i think wewe all workeked hard.. herere are the t three thingngs decicided for ththe future, , a wta,a, which is s the women'n'ss associatation, threeee years la alsoso we kept i it. we adoptpted it, okakay? nunumber one, , the reasonon we doing g all we werere doing wawt anany girl bororn in this s wor she werere good enouough, she'de a place toto compete.. number t two, we wouould be apappreciated d for our accomplilishments, n not only o looks.s. and numbmber three, , obviously we're gogoing to makake a livin plplaying the e sport we l love >> you jusust said somomething , again, women today take fofor grananted. >> oh. >> you wanteted to make a livin. the notion of a woman making a living wasas anathema in societ >> oh, it was huge. >> t there's nothing better fof human being to be able to geget paid for playing the sport well. we are entertainers. we are pererformers. and i thinink a lot of t the gi have changed for the better in that they have a lot more personal pride. they feel, i've done it. i didn't have to ask mom and dad for the momoney. i dididn't have e to ask a g grr the money.y. i did itit because i i played w. i earnrned that money. >> then it was the u.s. open. you led the idea of pushing for, for the very first time at the u.s. open, pay equity. >> i was in a meeting conference after i won in 1972, and i'd won $10,000, and ilie nastase from romamania had wowon $25,000.0. this had b been going g on for w yearars now. i'm m getting rereally sick k o. a lolot of us wewere. so i blurtrted out, wewe're not coming bacack. ththis stinks.s. we're e not comingng back. i haven't t really talalked to girls s yet, whichch is true. i'm thinkiking, oh, mymy god, ie what i'm s saying is t true. i said, , we're not t coming baf wewe don't getet equal pririze . i i went and t talked to d diff people i i knew, dififferent companieies, and saiaid, would invest t the money t that it wo take to mamake the dififference we bototh have eququal prize m next year?r? and they didn't blow me off, which i thought they might. and eventually bristol-myers cameme back to m me and said, w wawant to cover the whole e thi oursrselves. yoyou could hahave blown m me o. then i went to billy talbert, who was the tournament director. we have the prize money. i went and got it for you. in july of '73, after wimbledon, billy talbert announced we're going to have equal prize money at the u.s. open. >> that was the first time ever? >> first time. u.s. open is the first of anything i know in this whole world that was equal of men and women. >> in 2023, 50 years later when u.s. women's singles champion coco gauff got the same prize money as