Billie Jean King

“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.”

“I knew after my first lesson what I wanted to do with my life.”

“They're not put on earth to be martyrs; they have to want to come out. It depends on your culture, where you work, where you live. Each person's circumstances are unique.”

“It is very hard to be a female leader. While it is assumed that any man, no matter how tough, has a soft side... and female leader is assumed to be one-dimensional.”

“I would love to be a player today. I had the right personality for it.”

“There is no life for girls in team sports past Little League. I got into tennis when I realized this, and because I thought golf would be too slow for me, and I was too scared to swim.”

“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.”

“I always liked co-ed events best so we have two men and two women on each team.”

“I have a lot to say, and if I'm not No. 1, I can't say it.”

“I used to be told if I talked about my sexuality in any way that we wouldn't have a tennis tour.”

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

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

“No one changes the world who isn't obsessed.”

“A girl didn't get an athletic scholarship until the fall of 1972 for the very first time.”

“I always wanted to help make tennis a team sport.”

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

“I love to promote our sport. I love grass-roots tennis. I love coaching. I love all parts of the sport. I love the business side.”

“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.”

“I think younger players probably just think they are who they are-they don't think about coming out. Unless you're number one in the world, nobody cares, usually.”

“I would just never out anybody. I think everyone has to find it in their own way and their own time.”