Billie Jean King
Biography
During her career, Billie Jean King won 12 Grand Slam singles titles, 16 Grand Slam women's doubles titles and 11 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. An outspoken advocate against sexism in sports and society, she may be best remembered for her "Battle of the Sexes" match in 1973 where she defeated Bobby Riggs, a former Wimbledon men's champion.
King was ranked No. 1 in the world five times between 1966 and 1972 and between 1960 and 1977 was never out of the Top 10. She was the first woman athlete to win more than $100,000 in any sport and in 1974 became the first woman to coach a professional team with men..
Off the court, King serves as a director on several boards including the Elton John AIDS Foundation and the Women's Sports Foundation.
Career Highlights
| 1966 | Wimbledon singles champion |
| 1967 | Wimbledon singles champion; US Open champion |
| 1968 | Wimbledon singles champion; Australian Open champion |
| 1971 | US Open champion |
| 1972 | Wimbledon singles champion; US Open champion; French Open champion |
| First tennis player to be named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year | |
| 1973 | Wimbledon singles champion |
| 1974 | US Open champion |
| Founded the Women's Sports Foundation | |
| 1975 | Wimbledon singles champion |
| 1987 | Established WTT Charities |
| 1990 | Named by Life magazine as one of the "100 Most Important Americans of the 20th Century." |
| 1994 | Ranked 5th in Sports Illustrated's Top 40 Athletes list for significantly altering or elevating sports the past four decades |
| 1998 | First athlete to receive the Elizabeth Blackwell Award given to a woman whose life exemplifies outstanding service to humanity |
| 1999 | Won Arthur Ashe Award for Courage for her fight to bring equality to women's sports |
| 2003 | Won Philippe Chatrier Award for her contribution to tennis |
| Inducted into the Court of Champions at the USTA National Tennis Center | |
| 2006 | National Tennis Center, home of the U.S. Open, renamed the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center |
Links
Billie Jean King is the founder of the Women’s Sports Foundation
