A historic milestone is worthy of a historic moment, and the US Open had both on Opening Night inside Arthur Ashe Stadium. Former First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama teamed up with the tournament in honoring Billie Jean King and the 50th anniversary of equal prize money for men and women on Monday at America's Grand Slam.
Joining King and Grammy Award-winning singer Sara Bareilles in a special on-court ceremony on the Open's grandest stage, Obama called it a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity to honor the iconic champion whom she dubbed both a friend and visionary.
"Billie Jean once said that one of the things that she loves about this sport is the moment just before you strike the ball—that “split-second pause where everything hangs in the balance—because in those moments, anything can happen," Obama said.
"Fifty years ago, everything was hanging in the balance. Billie Jean had a choice. She could put her head down, keep winning tournament after tournament, and just accept whatever check she was given. Or she could dig deep and break serve. She could make a stand.
"If you know Billie Jean, you know what she chose ... and thankfully, the US Open had the guts to listen."
In 1972, King was awarded $10,000 for winning the women's singles title at the US Open, in comparison to men's champion Ille Nastase's $25,000.
In response, King spoke up and out, and told organizers that she, and the rest of the women's pros, wouldn't be coming back the next year if they were not paid equally. She worked tirelessly to secure a sponsor that made up the difference, and with the support of then-US Open tournament director Billy Talbert, the male and female winners were each paid $25,000 in 1973.
Today, the US Open singles champions make $3 million each, a record sum, and King's advocacy all those years ago was one of the first steps forward on the road that's made tennis the most lucrative professional sport for women today. But, as Obama told a capacity and record-sized crowd assembled in Ashe, the impact of King's stand also extends far outside the white lines of a tennis court.
"Let us remember that all of this is far bigger than a champion’s paycheck," Obama said. "This is about how women are seen and valued In this world. Sadly, we have seen how quickly progress like this can be taken away if we are not mindful and vigilant, if we do not keep remembering, advocating, organizing, speaking out, and, yes, voting!
"Billie Jean teaches us that when our rights hang in the balance, we all have a choice to make. We can wait around and accept what we’re given. We can sit by silently and hope that someone else will fight our battles. Or, we can make our own stand. We can use whatever platforms we have to speak out and fight to protect the progress we’ve made and level the playing field for our daughters and their daughters.
"This is what I hope we take away from tonight. Let us all summon a fraction of the courage and tenacity of women like Billie Jean King and continue to fight for a better, more just more equitable future for all of our children. I want to congratulate the men and women of the US Open for raising the bar, not just for tennis, but for the entire world."
A video tribute from today's ATP and WTA stars, including Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Coco Gauff, Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula, Caroline Wozniacki and Ons Jabeur, then played in-stadium in recognition of the anniversary, which is being celebrated throughout the three weeks of this year's championships.
"Thank you Billie Jean for always fighting for women's equality," Gauff said. "I appreciate you ... so that I can live the life that I live today, in women's tennis and the world in general."
The celebration capped a thrilling Day 1 at the US Open that saw the tournament set several attendance records. Monday's total day-night combined attendance of 72,957 was a high mark for the tournament all time, as was the night-session attendance of 30,429 for a single night session.
