Grand Slam champions Amelie Mauresmo and Jana Novotna were able to in the 1990s, when most athletes were still in the closet, because their predecessors had already done so. Shop new and upcoming Sports Trading Card releases. Professional tennis players, lesbian or otherwise, need to step to the plate — or baseline — and call out behavior that tarnishes the image of professional tennis.Maybe that’s too much to ask for. While today’s WTA seems like a beacon of gay pride, we’re actually long past tennis’ golden age of lesbianism, which paved the way for women to achieve equal prize money and enjoy higher viewing numbers than any other women’s sport.It all started when Billie Jean King burst onto the tennis scene in the 1960s with her mane of dark orange hair and piercing baseline game. This section is dedicated to articles related to sneakers that have yet to release. Current players, like Alison Van Uytvanck and Conny Perrin, have also cited the two superstars as their inspiration for coming out.But while women’s tennis has several openly gay players, none have since matched King and Navratilova’s star power or dedication to activism. To begin the YouTuber-to-viewer conversations, I want to start by sharing my personal coming out story. If only it were true in the 1980s.

You must be over 18, a resident of the U.S. and meet additional eligibility criteria to qualify. for social change … I used to be told that if I talked about my sexuality in any way we wouldn’t have a tennis tour.”King, who owns 12 Grand Slam titles, also became the first professional athlete in the world to come out as gay in 1981, when she was unceremoniously by a palimony suit from an ex-lover. Australian pro, Casey Dellacqua, in 2013 when her female partner had a baby. Court’s statements take us backwards in the fight against anti-gay prejudice — not just in sports, but in all veins of public life.King and Navratilova are still involved in activism and, to their credit, have pushed back strongly against Court’s remarks, but where are the modern players speaking up? I've never done anything like this, and gotta be honest, I'm damn nervous. Australia's Casey Dellacqua returns the ball to USA's Venus Williams during the Sony Open tennis tournament in Key Biscayne, Florida, on Sunday, March 23, 2014. In a powerful new essay published by Outsports, college tennis star Mitchell Thomas writes candidly about coming out to his teammates and … She won more grand slams than anyone of her generation. “You are judged on your performance … how far you can jump, how fast you can run, how well you can hit a tennis ball.”And this is the way that sports should be. “Everyone knows it’s wrong … [The church] is here to help them overcome [that lifestyle].”Now, lesbian tennis legends Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova, fittingly Court’s biggest career rivals, are rightly asking that her name be stripped from the Australian Open’s arena after her remarks caused an uproar across the tennis tour. She was by a reporter only months after the King scandal, also losing millions of dollars in endorsements.Together, the tennis legends broke a barrier in sports — they came out decades before any other athlete.“[Tennis] doesn’t know barriers, really,” Navratilova . Take a look at my recommendations on finding the best tennis racquet and s. Most professional sports are lucky to have one gay player. But perhaps a player will come along in the next few years who can match their talent and vigor for both the sport and social issues.Until then, we have history books full of lesbian tennis heroism to keep us inspired.Strictly Necessary Cookies, Performance Cookies, Functionality Cookies, Targeting Cookies or Advertising CookiesPreferences, Security, Processes, Advertising, Session State, Analytics Maybe the entire tennis universe has been spoiled by having King and Navratilova as the sport’s leading champions. But despite Navratilova’s success, being a lesbian and a European among Americans made it hard for her to win over fans.Navratilova and King made a sacrifice that their successors on the women’s tour have said they appreciate. Late fees apply. More than a quarter-century later, Court made news again, lashing out at women’s players who don’t adhere to her heteronormative, family-centric life on tour. She famously beat Bobby Riggs in the most-watched tennis match ever, after Court lost to Riggs weeks prior in a match colloquially referred to as the Mother’s Day massacre.