Billie Jean King is a champion.
She first held a racket in the fifth grade, and at 17 she won the first of her record 20 Wimbledon Championships, capturing the women's doubles title with Karen Hantze. Just five years later, she was ranked the #1 women's tennis player in the world.
And she didn't slow down. Over the course of her storied career, King won 39 Grand Slam titles, and was inducted into both the International Tennis Hall of Fame and the US Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame. She is known for her athletic ability, drive, and leadership — both in the sport and beyond it.
“Champions keepplaying until theyget it right.”
Billie Jean King is an activist. She has spent her life fighting for equality. She was the driving force behind the US Open Tennis Championships awarding equal prize money to men and women. She even took the fight to the masses by accepting Bobby Riggs' challenge in the historic "Battle of the Sexes," winning 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. The match reached an audience of 90 million, inspiring people to open their hearts and minds to equal opportunities for all.
“You have to see itto be it.”
Billie Jean King is a trailblazer.
She was the first woman athlete to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, to earn over $100,000 in prize money in a single season, and to have a major sports venue named in her honor. She also founded the Women's Tennis Association, the Women's Sports Foundation, and the Billie Jean King Foundation.
Billie Jean is committed to equality and inclusivity in the sports world and has inspired men and women to fight for it on and off the court.