Billie Jean King: Tennis Legend and Equality Pioneer

Billie Jean King stands out not just as a highly accomplished tennis player but also as one of the most impactful personalities in the history of sports. She amassed 39 Grand Slam titles—12 in singles, 16 in doubles, and 11 in mixed doubles—and was a pioneer for gender equality in athletics.

In 1959, at the age of 15, Billie Jean King made her Grand Slam debut at the U.S. Open; two years later, she won her first Grand Slam title partnering with Karen Hantze in the Wimbledon women's doubles.

Over time, the name “Billie Jean King” became synonymous with Wimbledon. In 1966, she won her first Wimbledon singles title; in 1973, she captured the singles, doubles, and mixed doubles titles at Wimbledon; and in 1979, she teamed with Martina Navratilova to win the doubles championship, marking her 20th Wimbledon title—a record later matched by Navratilova in 2003 at the All England Club.

Throughout her career, Mrs. King won 39 Grand Slam titles and achieved a career Grand Slam in both singles and mixed doubles. The only Grand Slam title she never won was the Australian Open women's doubles, although she reached the finals twice in 1965 and 1969. Over her career, she accumulated 129 singles titles (62 during the amateur era and 67 in the Open Era) and held the world No. 1 ranking in 1966-1968, 1971-1972, and 1974.

Billie Jean King’s career is filled with honors. She was named AP Female Athlete of the Year twice, in 1967 and 1973. In 1970, she was part of the “Original 9” who founded the Virginia Slims Circuit; in 1971, she became the first female athlete to earn over $100,000 in a single season. In 1972, she was the first woman and tennis player to be named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year.

In 1973, Mrs. King helped establish the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and famously defeated Bobby Riggs in the “Battle of the Sexes,” affirming the legitimacy of women’s tennis players. In 1974, she co-founded the Women’s Sports Foundation and the World Team Tennis league. In 1976, she was named Time magazine’s Woman of the Year.

In 1979, Mrs. King won her 20th Wimbledon title, a record she now shares with Martina Navratilova; in 1980, she won her 39th and final Grand Slam title in the U.S. Open women’s doubles. She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1987.

In 1990, she was listed among Life magazine’s “100 Most Influential Americans of the 20th Century”; in 2003, she received the International Tennis Federation’s Philippe Chatrier Award. In 2006, the U.S. Tennis Association named its national tennis center after her. In 2009, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama.

In 2019, Mrs. King was appointed the global ambassador for the Fed Cup; in 2020, the Fed Cup was officially renamed the “Billie Jean King Cup” in her honor.

Billie Jean King (born Billie Jean Moffitt) hails from a sports-oriented family in California. Her father, Bill, was a firefighter and a gifted basketball player; her mother, Betty, was a skilled swimmer. Her brother Randy pitched in Major League Baseball from 1972 to 1983. Although Billie Jean showed promise in basketball and softball as a youth, her first encounter with tennis set the course for her life.

At age 11, she was introduced to tennis by her friend Susan Williams and quickly fell in love with the sport. She earned money through odd jobs to buy her first racquet and began practicing at public courts in Long Beach, telling her mother she would one day become world No. 1.

As a player, Billie Jean King was known for her swift court movement, aggressive net play, powerful backhand, and exceptional competitive spirit. Beyond her Grand Slam and tour successes, her performances in the Fed Cup were also remarkable.

In 1963, King represented the U.S. in the inaugural Fed Cup, where 16 teams competed over a week at London’s Queen’s Club, with the U.S. facing Australia in the final. Then known as Moffitt, she was the second-ranked U.S. player behind Darlene Hard. After losing the first set, she defeated Lesley Turner and then teamed with Hard to win a decisive doubles match against Margaret Smith and Turner, securing the championship for the U.S.

This began a long-lasting connection with the event. Mrs. King played 36 Fed Cup ties for the U.S., including 9 finals, winning 7 titles—surpassed only by Chris Evert’s 8 championships. From 1963 to 1979, she compiled a 52-4 win-loss record, including an unbeaten 12-2 record in finals, which remains unmatched. She ended with a 30-match winning streak. Partnered with Rosie Casals in doubles, she never lost a match (10-0), and both hold a 26-1 doubles record, sharing the U.S. team record. As captain, she led the U.S. to 4 titles in 7 finals, including the 1976 championship as a player-captain. Only Peter Palffy, who led the Czech team to 6 titles, has more championship wins as captain.

However, her athletic career is only half the story of her lifelong advocacy for equality in sports and beyond. As a core member of the “Original 9,” she broke away from the existing system to establish the Virginia Slims Circuit (which evolved into the WTA). In 1973, she threatened to boycott the U.S. Open, leading it to become the first Grand Slam to offer equal prize money to men and women. That same year, she participated in the famous “Battle of the Sexes” in Houston, defeating 1939 Wimbledon men’s champion Bobby Riggs 6-4, 6-3, 6-3—a symbolic milestone in sports history.

Billie Jean King’s career has always been intertwined with activism, a spirit that continues today. She co-founded the mixed-gender World Team Tennis league and the Women’s Sports Foundation. In 2014, she launched the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative to promote diversity and inclusive leadership in the workplace.

In 2019, Mrs. King was named the global ambassador for the Fed Cup; on September 17, 2020, the tournament was officially renamed the “Billie Jean King Cup” in her honor.

Billie Jean King: Quick Facts

Date of Birth: November 22, 1943

Age: 81 years old

Place of Birth: Long Beach, California, USA

Height: 1.65 meters

Playing Style: Right-handed, one-handed backhand

Highest Singles/Doubles Ranking: No. 1

Grand Slam Titles: 12 singles, 16 doubles, 11 mixed doubles

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