Quotes by Billie Jean King

“Tennis taught me so many lessons in life. One of the things it taught me is that every ball that comes to me, I have to make a decision. I have to accept responsibility for the consequences every t...”

“Champions keep playing until they get it right.”

“Sports are a microcosm of society.”

“Sports teaches you character, it teaches you to play by the rules, it teaches you to know what it feels like to win and lose-it teaches you about life.”

“In the seventies we had to make it acceptable for people to accept girls and women as athletes. We had to make it okay for them to be active. Those were much scarier times for females in sports.”

“Tennis is a perfect combination of violent action taking place in an atmosphere of total tranquillity.”

“I wanted to use sports for social change.”

“When we reach the point where the women athletes are getting their pick of dates just as easily as the men athletes, then we've really and truly arrived. Parity at last!”

“I like entrepreneurial people I like people who take risks.”

“Women get the attention when we get into the men's arena, and that's sad.”

“That is where the power, opportunity, and choice come from-when you have money. Money equals opportunity. There is no question.”

“A champion is afraid of losing. Everyone else is afraid of winning.”

“I think self-awareness is probably the most important thing towards becoming a champion.”

“Champions take responsibility. When the ball is coming over the net you can be sure I want the ball.”

“In 1973, women got 59 cents on the dollar; now we are getting 74 cents on the dollar. In the area of finance and business, we are at 68 cents on the dollar.”

“When they take surveys of women in business, of the Fortune 500, the successful women, 80% of them, say they were in sports as a young woman.”

“If your partner wants to be private, you have to respect that.”

“Champions take responsibility. When the ball is coming over the net you can be sure I want the ball.”