Billie Jean King Read by Jessica Valenti

From Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls by Rebel Girls

June 9, 2026 · 15 min

About this episode

This episode tells the story of Billie Jean King's fight for equal pay in tennis, narrated by Jessica Valenti.

Once upon a time, there was a bespectacled girl who loved tennis. She was resourceful and figured out a way to get tennis lessons for free since her family didn't have a lot of money. When she became a national champion, she began to fight for equal rights within the tennis circuit: equal pay for men AND women. This led to a revolution in the sport, paving the way for future female superstars like Venus and Serena Williams. [This episode originally aired in April 2018.] About the Narrator Jessica Valenti is a columnist for the Guardian US and the author of multiple books on feminism, politics, and culture. Her most recent book, Sex Object: A Memoir, was a New York Times bestseller. Her award-winning blog, Feministing.com, has been praised by Columbia Journalism Review as “head and shoulders above almost any writing on women’s issues in mainstream media.” Credits This episode of Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls is produced by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo, with writing and operation support by Darby Maloney and Elyssa Dudley. Sound Design and Original Theme Music by Elettra Bargiacchi.

People in this episode

Guest: Jessica Valenti

Topics covered

tennis
equal rights
feminism
sports history
women's empowerment

Keywords

Billie Jean King
tennis
equal pay
feminism
Jessica Valenti
women's rights
sports

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Guardian US, Feministing.com