What Happened to Billie Jean King?

Billie Jean King, born Billie Jean Moffitt on November 22, 1943, in Long Beach, California, rose from public tennis courts to become a dominant force in professional tennis. Her early career saw her achieve significant success, including her first Wimbledon doubles title in 1961 and her first Wimbledon singles title in 1966, the year she first achieved the world No. 1 ranking. Throughout her career, King amassed an impressive 39 Grand Slam titles across singles, doubles, and mixed doubles, demonstrating unparalleled versatility and skill on the court.

Beyond her athletic prowess, King became a fierce advocate for gender equality in sports. In 1970, she was part of the 'Original 9' who signed $1 contracts to form the Virginia Slims Circuit, protesting unequal prize money. This movement led to the establishment of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) in 1973, with King as its first president. That same year, she famously defeated Bobby Riggs in the 'Battle of the Sexes,' a highly publicized match watched by over 90 million people worldwide, which became a pivotal moment for women's rights and sports. Her efforts also led to the U.S. Open becoming the first major tournament to offer equal prize money to men and women. In 1974, she co-founded the Women's Sports Foundation, dedicated to advancing girls' and women's participation in sports.

King retired from competitive tennis in 1983 but continued her impactful work off the court. Her contributions to tennis and society have been widely recognized. The USTA National Tennis Center, home of the US Open, was renamed the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in her honor in 2006. In 2009, President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, for her advocacy for women and the LGBTQ+ community. In 2020, the Fed Cup, the women's world cup of tennis, was renamed the Billie Jean King Cup, marking the first global team competition named after a woman.

As of 2026, King remains a prominent and active figure. In 2024, she became the first individual female athlete to receive the Congressional Gold Medal. She also received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the sports entertainment category in 2025. Demonstrating her lifelong commitment to education, King, at 82, earned her Bachelor of Arts in History from California State University, Los Angeles, on May 18, 2026, 65 years after she first attended. She continues to serve on the advisory board of the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) and is part of the ownership groups for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Angel City FC. Her Billie Jean King Foundation (formerly the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative, renamed in 2024) continues to champion diversity, inclusion, and equality in the workplace and through sports, education, and activism. In 2026, she is also an honoree for the Gleitsman Citizen Activist Award.