When you oppress people either by gender, by race, by sexual orientation, when you do that and the doors become ajar, they will fly open and they will come and they have.
BILLIE JEAN KINGEvery generation I think gets better usually [in tennis].
More Billie Jean King Quotes
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When I was playing, we didn’t have to compete against everybody in the world. Now it’s a truly global sport, so the competition’s much greater, just like it is for our children in every other area, whether it be in science or technology or whatever you talk about.
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It’s about learning your craft. That’s a wonderful thing–especially with today’s consumerism and instant gratification.
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It’s your birthday today, so what would you say, if we turned that frown upside down
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I think self-awareness is probably the most important thing towards being a champion.
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Victory is fleeting. Losing is forever.
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It’s really impossible for athletes to grow up. On the one hand, you’re still a child, still playing a game. But on the other hand, you’re a superhuman hero that everyone dreams of being. No wonder we have such a hard time understanding who we are.
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Pressure is a privilege – it only comes to those who earn it.
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Natural talent only determines the limits of your athletic potential. It’s dedication and a willingness to discipline your life that makes you great.
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It’s important to try to get people to think about women’s wellness.
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I must keep my sights on the final goal, to win, win, win-and with more love and passion than the world has ever witnessed in any performance.
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I like entrepreneurial people; I like people who take risks.
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We have, or have had women presidents or prime ministers in Liberia, Chile, Germany, Great Britain…and yet the US of A still hasn’t had a women president. It’s just beyond my thinking. Look at Congress.
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Don’t go into debt and don’t spend a lot. It’s not how much money you make, it’s how much you spend.
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Don’t worry about what people say.
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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.
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Ever since that day when I was 11 years old, and I wasn’t allowed in a photo because I wasn’t wearing a tennis skirt, I knew that I wanted to change the sport.
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There’s no promises in any entrepreneurial business. You have to really work hard every year and also try to envision where you want to go in the future at the same time.
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I feel that tennis is an art form that is capable of moving the players and the audience – at least a knowledgeable audience-in almost sensual ways.
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I would just never out anybody. I think everyone has to find it in their own way and their own time.
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Martina and I went through a very bad five years. Everything’s very good between us now, but it was a long haul.
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I always listen, I ask children, I even ask adults in tennis, “What are your children playing?” And most of the time it’s not tennis. It’s pathetic.
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Sports are a microcosm of society. It just shows how much more competition there is in the world.
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I always respect right off the bat because we are human, but then over time you learn who the person truly is, just like they learn about you.
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A champion is afraid of losing. Everyone else is afraid of winning.
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Men still get a lot more opportunity. It is still a big part of the old boy network… They have more companies they can get money from.
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I think if you’re put on a team as a child, like you are in soccer and other sports, I think the children are going to stay in the sport and have more fun if they’re on a team. They want to play with their friends and have fun.
BILLIE JEAN KING