Billie Jean King

Billie Jean King, born Billie Jean Moffitt on November 22, 1943, in Long Beach, California, grew up in a sports-oriented family and began playing tennis at age 11. She attended California State University, Los Angeles, and quickly rose in the sport, winning her first major title in 1961 as part of the youngest pair to claim the Wimbledon women's doubles crown with Karen Hantze Susman. By 1966, she achieved her first Wimbledon singles victory over Maria Bueno and became the world No. 1, a ranking she held five more times (1967-1968, 1971-1972, 1974). Her early career featured intense training and a forceful playing style marked by speed, net play, and a strong backhand. In the late 1960s and 1970s, King dominated, securing career Grand Slams in singles and mixed doubles, while tying Martina Navratilova's record of 20 Wimbledon titles (6 singles, 10 doubles, 4 mixed). Off the court, she led the 'Original 9' revolt in 1970 against unequal treatment, signing a $1 contract to form the Virginia Slims Tour, which evolved into the WTA in 1973. Her 1973 'Battle of the Sexes' win over Bobby Riggs (6-4, 6-3, 6-3) before 90 million viewers symbolized women's athletic equality, especially after the U.S. Open's 1972 prize money gap motivated her advocacy. King retired from singles in 1983 but continued in doubles until 1990, amassing 129 singles titles. Post-retirement, she founded the Women's Sports Foundation in 1974, advised on the Billie Jean King Cup (formerly Fed Cup), and championed LGBTQ+ rights after coming out in 1981. Named one of the most important Americans of the 20th century by LIFE magazine, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009 and remains active in business, team management, and cultural initiatives.