The Women’s Tennis Association took time out from Wimbledon yesterday to celebrate 40 years since Billie Jean King hauled 63 stars of the game at the time together to get organised to fight for parity with the men’s game.
It seems so obvious looking back but in 1973 she and her colleagues felt they had to look the doors of the London hotel they had called the meeting in to prevent players from leaving because they thought the ambition of equality was impossible or they needed to spend time on practise for the short term rather than planning for the long term.
Since that time prize money has been equalised at each of the four tennis major tournaments. Equal time is given to men’s and women’s tennis on show courts and in television coverage. Stars like Sharapova have inspired girls to pick up rackets and shown that success in sport is equally attainable by them as by their brothers.
40 years ago a small group of people laid down a challenge on why things did not need to be as they were and could be very different.
The power of inspiration and commitment can never be underestimated in sport or in business. At a time when Sport for Business is committed to raising the bar for Women’s sport in Ireland, we salute those who have shown it can be possible.
Discover more on Sport for Business about Sport for Daughters, Women’s Sport and Tennis by clicking on the links below:
Saluting Equality through Sport
