Billie Jean King
“Thirty-nine majors, a tour she helped found, and a night in the Astrodome that still argues.”
King won her first Wimbledon title in 1966, establishing herself as the world's best player. But her defining moment came in 1973, when she beat Bobby Riggs in the nationally televised 'Battle of the Sexes,' cementing her status as a sports icon and champion for women's equality.
California Champion
Born Billie Jean Moffitt in Long Beach, California, she learned tennis on public courts. By her late teens she was a Wimbledon doubles champion on her way to global stardom.
Battle of the Sexes
In 1973 King defeated 55-year-old Bobby Riggs in straight sets before a worldwide television audience. The victory became a landmark moment for women's sports and gender equality.
Trailblazer for Equality
King co-founded the Women's Tennis Association and the Women's Sports Foundation, fighting for equal pay and opportunity. She remains one of the most influential figures in the history of sports.
Career Timeline
- 1943Born Billie Jean Moffitt in Long Beach.
- 1966First Wimbledon singles title.
- 1970The Original Nine. A dollar contract. The Slims circuit.
- 1973WTA. Equal pay at the U.S. Open. Beats Riggs in Houston.
- 1981Outed by a lawsuit. Sponsors run. She does not.
- 2006The National Tennis Center takes her name.
- 2018Marries Ilana Kloss.
Biggest Hits
- The Fed Cup, tennis's premier women's team competition, was renamed the Billie Jean King Cup in her honor in 2020.
- She fought for and won equal prize money at the U.S. Open in 1973, the first major to pay men and women equally.
Portrait: Associated Press · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons