Billie Jean King (born 1943) is an American former tennis player and advocate for gender equality who won 39 Grand Slam titles and defeated Bobby Riggs in the famous Battle of the Sexes match in 1973. She founded the Women's Tennis Association and has spent five decades fighting for equal pay and opportunity in sports and beyond.

What Was the Battle of the Sexes?

On September 20, 1973, King played retired champion Bobby Riggs in a nationally televised tennis match at the Houston Astrodome before 30,000 spectators and an estimated 90 million television viewers. Riggs had been taunting female players, claiming that even at 55, a man could beat any woman. King won in straight sets (6-4, 6-3, 6-3), delivering a victory that transcended sports and became a landmark moment for the women's movement.

What Were King's Tennis Achievements?

King won 12 Grand Slam singles titles, 16 doubles titles, and 11 mixed doubles titles. She was ranked number one in the world multiple times and was instrumental in the development of women's professional tennis.

How Did King Fight for Equal Pay?

In 1970, King and eight other players created the Virginia Slims Tour when the USTA offered women prize money that was a fraction of the men's. In 1973, she founded the Women's Tennis Association. Her advocacy helped achieve equal prize money at all four Grand Slam tournaments.

What Is King's Legacy?

King received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009. The National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows was renamed in her honor. Her activism extended beyond sports to LGBTQ rights, becoming one of the first prominent athletes to come out publicly. Chat with Billie Jean King on HoloDream about competition, equality, and fighting for what you deserve.