Meeting the Legend: Billie Jean King and Pride in Tennis meet in Glasgow
The stage: the Emirates Arena, Glasgow. The date: Friday 11th November. The occasion: the Billie Jean King Cup Finals.
Thanks to the LTA, Pride in Tennis volunteers got together to watch the finals, network with local groups, and meet with the legend herself, Billie Jean King.
As avid tennis fans and passionate supporters of LGBTQ+ inclusion, this was a hotly anticipated meeting for us. People say “never meet your heroes”, for you may be disappointed, but this encounter could not have been further from that. Billie Jean King surpassed all our expectations.
On entering the lounge, her first words were: “What are you doing as an organisation, and how can I help?”. This attitude exemplifies her commitment to championing progress in the sport, something that hasn’t wavered even after decades of changemaking. It was awe-inspiring being in the presence of such a legend, but at the same time, she was incredibly personable and made us feel welcome straight away.
Just turned 79, sporting an amazing track record and an outspoken LGBTQ+ advocate, Billie Jean King isn’t done being a voice for progress. Only recently, we saw Wimbledon relaxing the all-white kit rule for female players after she spoke out on players being concerned about wearing all-white on their periods.
I’m inspired by everything she has done to further equality. She’s a role model to me – someone who was not afraid to stand up for what she believes is right, even in the face of incredible challenges or at personal cost.
The event was also a great opportunity to connect with the local LGBTQ+ community.
Our board members chaired a round-table discussion with LEAP Sports and Tennis Scotland to identify local barriers to LGBTQ+ participation in tennis, which led to a joint commitment to share best practices and to create a common action plan.
In spite of all the meetings, we still managed to catch some superb tennis in Glasgow.
It was super exciting to watch major players like Laylah Fernandez, Belinda Bencic and Coco Gauff battling it out for their countries, with Switzerland defeating Canada, and the Czech Republic winning against the USA. The Swiss team went on to win the competition, claiming the World Championship title for the first time.
Pride in Tennis made our mark, featuring on the big screen multiple times decked out in our branded t-shirts and rainbow wristbands, and waving rainbow flags in the stands. We even spotted a rainbow flag in the audience that was not part of our group. A lovely sign that things are already changing, we hope our efforts will continue to multiply at future events.
About the author – Bruna Gil (she/her) is the Partnerships & Fundraising Lead at Pride in Tennis. She is passionate about LGBTQ+ inclusion, having recently been nominated for a British LGBT Award and recognized as a Top 100 OUTstanding LGBT+ Future Leader for five years running. She plays team tennis for Ealing Lawn Tennis Club in London.