Women's Tennis in the 60's
Before 1968, tennis was an amateur sport for women. Women's tennis was dismissed as a frilly sideshow to men's tennis, and women weren't awarded prize money. The men were ruling the world of tennis.
"I hated amateurism. I called it 'shamiturism.' At the tournaments, we would get money under the table. Literally under the table. I really felt deeply, this game has to change."
-Billie Jean King
[Source: American Masters]
Women kept pushing the International Tennis Federation (ITF) for women's tennis to go pro. In 1968 women's tennis became professional and women were awarded prize money.
"When the game went pro, I just remember being so happy."
-Billie Jean King
[Source: American Masters]
In 1968, when King won Wimbledon she won $750. The male winner, Rod Laver, got $2,000.
"I didn't have any idea we would be getting different prize money. I go, "What! He got $2,000; I got $750!" I thought it was totally unfair. I remember Rod telling me, you know once you have open tennis the men will squeeze you out. The guys will want all the money for themselves." |
"When the prize money started appearing, it was obvious that the men were way up there, and the women were way down there. We started feeling very strongly that we deserved to get payed equally." |
"Equal prize money for what. Women play two out of three sets. Men play three out of five. Is it equal work? Is it equal time? There's no way that woman should have equal prize money." |
"I never saw the argument of men playing three out of five sets versus women playing two out of three sets as being the issue. The issue to me was, can we draw as big a crowd as the men. And if the answer is yes, then we deserve the same amount of prize money." |
"The ratio of prize money started to be horrendous, like ten, eleven, twelve, to one. And more and more tournaments didn't have women's events. So we as women had fewer places to play."
-Billie Jean King
[Source: American Masters]
"Prize money disparity was like, $10,000 for the men and $1,500 for the women. It was the men who were running things."
-Nancy Richey
[Source: American Maseters]
"We were in big trouble if we wanted to keep playing tennis. Forget the money, just play. From that moment on, I knew I had to change women's tennis."
-Billie Jean King
[Source: American Masters]