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50 years ago Billie Jean King became a champion for gender equality in sports

A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:

Good morning. I'm A Martínez.

Fifty years ago today, Billie Jean King became a champion for gender equality in sports. On September 20, 1973, King and Bobby Riggs faced off in the so-called battle of the sexes. It was the most-watched match in tennis history. King took on the challenge after Riggs deemed the women's game inferior to the men. She defeated Riggs in three consecutive sets, taking home the prize of 100,000 bucks, empowering women both on and off the court.

It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

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