"The day I stop fighting for equality will be the day I'm in my grave" - When Serena Williams brutally shut down criticism from Billie Jean King

Serena Williams and Billie Jean King have both played a huge role in shaping women’s tennis. However, there was a moment of tension between them when King criticized Williams over equal pay, and the latter later responded with a powerful comeback.

In June 2019, King said in a WTA interview that she felt Williams had too much on her plate, especially as a new mother to Olympia. King believed the 23-time Grand Slam champion was getting distracted from her tennis by focusing more on activism, which she felt was affecting her performance on the court.

“She’s got a baby, she’s trying to help gender equity, particularly women of color,” King said. “But it makes it much harder. I would like her to put everything else aside, because she’s got people working on those things.”

“I wish she would just make a commitment for the next year-and-a-half to two years and say, I’m going to absolutely focus on what’s necessary for my tennis, so when I look in the mirror when I’m older then I can go back in my mind and know I gave it everything I had,” she added.

Serena Williams addressed Billie Jean King's comments during a Wimbledon press conference that year. A journalist asked:

"A negative one to end on. There have been a few comments made in the last couple weeks by people like Billie Jean King that maybe you should stop being a celebrity for a year, stop fighting for equality, and just focus on the tennis. How do you respond to that?"

She replied:

“The day I stop fighting for equality and for people that look like you and me will be the day I'm in my grave.”

Williams' comments came after her loss to Simona Halep in the Wimbledon final. She had played well throughout the tournament, but Halep was simply too good in the final, winning 6-2, 6-2.

Check out Serena Williams' full press conference after Wimbledon 2019 loss:

Billie Jean King issues a clarification behind her controversial comments on Serena Williams

Serena Williams pictured at the 2022 US Open | Image Source: Getty

After Serena Williams responded to her comments, Billie Jean King felt compelled to clarify her position. She took to X (formerly Twitter) to clarify that her words had been misunderstood and that she never meant to suggest Williams should stop fighting for equality

King wrote:

“I would never ask anyone to stop fighting for equality. In everything she does, Serena shines a light on what all of us must fight for in order to achieve equality for all.”

Since then, things have gradually settled between the two. The mutual respect was clear when King shared a heartfelt message for Williams after she announced her retirement from tennis in 2022.