Plays Tennis Like a Man, Speaks Out Like — Billie Jean King

Published to The New York Times on August 23, 2013

When she first started playing in tennis tournaments, little Billie Jean Moffitt found her aggressive net-rushing style ineffectual against the “backcourters” — “the kids that are very steady, and play from the back court, and hit lobs all day” waiting for the opponent to make the first mistake. “They used to say, ‘Ha, ha, all we need to do is get two or three back on you and you’ll miss the fourth shot.’ And I said, ‘We’ll see who’s winning: when we’re 16.’”

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