The main thing is not a matter of wanting to win; the main thing is being scared to lose. Billie Jean King More Quotes by Billie Jean King More Quotes From Billie Jean King Tennis is a perfect combination of violent action taking place in an atmosphere of total tranquillity. Billie Jean King tennisperfectsports I always listen, I ask children, I even ask adults in tennis, "What are your children playing?" And most of the time it's not tennis. It's pathetic. Billie Jean King tennisadultschildren Some people do have softer boundaries. Billie Jean King boundariespeople I feel that tennis is an art form that is capable of moving the players and the audience - at least a knowledgeable audience-in almost sensual ways. When I'm performing at my absolute best, I think that some of the euphoria I feel must be transmitted to the audience. Billie Jean King playerartmoving Bobby Riggs was one of my heroes. I admired him. That's one of the reasons I beat him - because I respected him. Billie Jean King beatsheroreason It's about learning your craft. That's a wonderful thing--especially with today's consumerism and instant gratification. You can'tbuy that. It's about making decisions, corrections, choices. I don't think it's so much about becoming a tennis player. It's about becoming a person. Billie Jean King choicesplayerthinking You've got to win in sports - that's talent - but you've also got to learn how to remind everybody how you did win, and how often. That comes with experience. Billie Jean King learningwinningsports You want people to feel like they belong to something. And not be elitist. You don't want us to be elitist. Billie Jean King elitistwantpeople A girl didn't get an athletic scholarship until the fall of 1972 for the very first time. Billie Jean King girlsportsfall Don't go into debt and don't spend a lot. It's not how much money you make, it's how much you spend. Billie Jean King debt I've never cared that much for cementing my place in history. Sports is so transitory, so ephemeral. It just seems like so much nonsense comparing me to Helen Wills Moody or Suzanne Lenglen or anybody else from some other time. One lesson you learn from sports is that life goes on without you. Billie Jean King goes-onsportshistory I wanted to use sports for social change. Billie Jean King socialusesports People say, "Do you know how much a million dollars is?" I don't have a clue. How many Big Macs will it buy me? Billie Jean King dollarsmoneypeople I didn't really care if I had a coach that much, me personally, because I was brought up to think for myself. Billie Jean King caresportsthinking I always respect right off the bat because we are human, but then over time you learn who the person truly is, just like they learn about you. Hope it works out really well, and you hope that builds a stronger connection over time. You can't be friends with everybody. Billie Jean King batsstrongerwork-out The most important words that have helped me in life, when things have gone right or when things have gone wrong are 'accept responsibility.' Billie Jean King importantresponsibilitygone It's really impossible for athletes to grow up. On the one hand, you're still a child, still playing a game. But on the other hand, you're a superhuman hero that everyone dreams of being. No wonder we have such a hard time understanding who we are. Billie Jean King dreamsuccesssports I always liked co-ed events best so we have two men and two women on each team. Billie Jean King teamsportsmen That is where the power, opportunity, and choice come from-when you have money. Money equals opportunity. There is no question. Billie Jean King choicesopportunitysports We have, or have had women presidents or prime ministers in Liberia, Chile, Germany, Great Britain...and yet the US of A still hasn't had a women president. It's just beyond my thinking. Look at Congress. Billie Jean King germanypresidentthinking
