Billie Jean King: A Champion of Equality in Tennis and Beyond

Billie Jean King is an American former world No. 1 tennis player who won 39 major titles: 12 in singles, 16 in women’s doubles, and 11 in mixed doubles. She was born on November 22, 1943, in Long Beach, California.

Age, Marriage, Career Net worth And More…

King’s influence and playing style elevated the status of women’s professional tennis beginning in the late 1960s. She was ranked #1 in the world in women’s tennis for six years (1966-1968, 1971-1972, and 1974).

In addition to her tennis career, King is known for her advocacy for gender equality and social justice. She founded the Women’s Tennis Association and the Women’s Sports Foundation.

Billie Jean King is one of the greatest tennis players of all time and a social activist for women’s sports, LGBTQ rights, and inclusion and diversity in the workplace. She won 39 Grand Slam titles in her tennis career, which started in the public parks of California. She led the fight for equal pay in tennis and formed the Women’s Tennis Association, the organization that oversees women’s professional tennis. She also founded the Women’s Sports Foundation and co-founded World TeamTennis, a revolutionary professional tennis league. She was the first female athlete to earn more than $100,000 in prize money in a single season and the first woman to be chosen Sports Illustrated’s “Sportsperson of the Year”. She is known for beating Bobby Riggs in 1973’s “Battle of the Sexes,” a match that drew attention to gender equality in sports. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, from President Obama in 2009. She started playing tennis on public courts near her home and won the Southern California championship in 1958. She retired from tennis and became a coach, commentator and advocate.