Kristy Pigeon in action during the London Grass Court Championships in West Kensington, London, 1968.
Equal pay for equal play By Linda Schmidt
Growing up as an athletic, horse-crazy
en’s professional tennis and featuring
In the early 1960s, she was training as a
teenager in Danville, California, Kristy
the historic showdown match between
competitive swimmer when she saw an
Pigeon ’73 never imagined she’d find
King and Bobby Riggs.
announcement for an end-of-summer rec-
herself on a Hollywood red carpet. But
“I almost didn’t go because I’m not
reational tennis tournament. “I thought
she was one of nine women, including
the type of person who wants to be in
that might be kind of fun, so when I got
multiple Wimbledon winner Billie Jean
the middle of all that, but I enjoyed it,”
out of the pool, I signed up,” she says. She
King and her doubles and Tennis Hall
Pigeon says. “All but one of us were there;
won that tournament, and decided: “I
of Fame partner Rosie Casals, who broke
we have a strong bond, and it was good
really liked tennis.” She exchanged free
away from the US Tennis Association
to see each other.” Those “Original Nine”
lessons for working in the pro shop at the
in 1970 to form their own tournament
changed the course of sports history,
local country club and soon was tearing
circuit in pursuit of equitable pay for
paving the way for tennis to become the
her way through increasingly competi-
female players. And she couldn’t resist
only sport that compensates men and
tive tournaments. In 1968, the year she
the invitation to attend the September
women equally.
graduated from high school, she won the
2017 premiere of the movie Battle of
Yet it was almost by chance that
US Tennis Association National Junior
Sexes, based on their early days of wom-
Pigeon had picked up a tennis racquet.
Championships and the girls’ singles
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PHOTO BY FRED MOT T/E V ENING S TANDARD/HULTON ARCHIV E /GE T T Y IM AGES