Wimbledon

(“Filmmaker Essay: On Billie Jean King”). In 1959, Billie Jean began working with Alice Marble, who helped her achieve her 1961 doubles victory at Wimbledon, when she and her partner, Karen Hantze Susman, became the youngest pair to win the title (“Billie Jean King Biography”). As a very talented young athlete, she was not allowed to apply for a college scholarship solely because she was female, which helped fuel her fire later in life (“Filmmaker Essay: On Billie Jean King”). From 1961 to 1964, Billie Jean attended California State University, where she continued to compete in high level tournaments and worked as a tennis instructor in order to help herself financially (“Filmmaker Essay: On Billie Jean King”). In 1965, Billie Jean married Larry King, who was a law student at the time (“Billie Jean King Biography”). Billie Jean decided that she needed to step up her practice schedule and began a complete training plan that would work on strengthening her fundamentals, which would lead to her winning many titles (“Billie Jean King Biography”). This training plan and hard work would change her life forever. Billie Jean King was the first to do many things in women’s tennis, which made her the best tennis player and most prominent activist of her time. According to tennisfame.com, in 1966, she won her first major singles championship at Wimbledon, and she successfully defended that title for two years in a row. Billie Jean became the first female athlete to win over $100,000 in…

the most admired woman in the world. Later in her life, after she retired from competitive play, King also became an iconic figure in the lesbian and gay community.” King used her platform as the best tennis player in the world to fight for equal pay and equal opportunities for both men and women. Her fight for equal pay ended in 2007, when Wimbledon became the last grand slam to offer equal prize money. During the 1980s, King became one of the first prominent American athletes to openly…

Selecting the best of the best in such a competitive sport like women's tennis is difficult to say the least. Yet again, there are those names that always come to mind when you think of this sport. They are the players that resisted the test of time in remaining at the top. The combination of good defense and offense positioned them at the highest in their times and helped them remain there for decades to come. Grand Slam titles There are four Grand Slams over the year: the Australian Open, the…

In August of 2003 she underwent knee surgery and just a month later her half-sister Yetunde was murdered in Los Angeles, California. Serena’s tennis ranking slump up to 139. Many people said she seemed worn-out with no motivation to stay fit or keep up with the title she once had. Soon after she took a trip out to West Africa where she accredited her faith as a Jehovah’s Witness to start this new life changing journey. By 2009, she had released a new autobiography called “Queen of the Court” and…

round, she defeated Barbara Knapp, a white female player but lost to Louise Brough, another white female player in her second match. Throughout both rounds, racial slurs spewed from racist spectators, who for the first time saw an African-American person playing the game in a non-recreational setting (“Racism and Black Tennis”). Despite the slurs and insults, Althea Gibson continued to play tennis professionally. According to ESPN: The Worldwide Leader in Sports, in 1956 Gibson won many singles…

players following the sisters’ footsteps, but they are hindered by the fact that the tennis society classifies the Williams sisters as extraordinary and superior. These comments about the William sisters discourages these young players, because they think that it will be difficult to be professional tennis players without having these superior capabilities. I agree with Shultz’s when she states that “the attention paid to the fashions of male tennis players, however, is less significant than…

Do you know the woman that won over 20 Grand Slam singles titles and several Olympic Gold Medals? Yes! It’s Serena Jameka Williams the best woman athlete in history! In 1991 she was on the junior United States Tennis Association tour and ranked 1st in the 10-and-under division. When she was 14 Serena turned pro and was NO.99 in the world rankings.In June 2013, Williams took her second French Open title—as well as her 16th Grand Slam singles title—in a 6-4, 6-4 victory over defending champion…

All it took for my friends to lure me into tennis was to suggest that I join the team with them sophomore year. At first it started out as something to do with my friends, but soon became a hobby and passion of mine as I learned more about the game. Tennis is a sport that involves two players hitting a ball back and forth across a net to each other using a racquet. It may sound simple, but decades have passed since the game was created and has given people time to turn the game into a highly…

Game, Set, Match! In a blink of an eye, my partner and I won our very first game in soft tennis. For the last point, I was able to score an ace. An ace is a winning serve that the server’s opponents never touches the ball with their racket. Therefore, the server earns a point, while the opponent loses it. This last point was crucial because it led us to victory. The excitement that I felt on that day is palpable. Ending the match with such a great impact is really memorable and a thrilling…

Pilots miss the mark in their offer to rehash as WTT champions The San Diego Aviators' Naomi Broady in real life amid the ladies' pairs last against the Orange County Breakers. The San Diego Aviators' Naomi Broady in real life amid the ladies' pairs last against the Orange County Breakers. (Fred Mullane/Camerawork USA) Wear Norcross Three hours and 14 minutes after the primary yellow ball was hurled skyward Saturday night at the Omni La Costa Resort and Spa, the San Diego Aviators' rule…