Billie Jean King
American tennis champion and gender equality advocate.
Billie Jean King (born Billie Jean Moffitt on November 22, 1943) is an American former world No. 1 tennis player. Over her career, she collected 39 Grand Slam titles—12 in singles, 16 in women’s doubles, and 11 in mixed doubles. She also helped the United States win seven Federation Cups and nine Wightman Cups.
King has been a longtime advocate for gender equality and social justice. At age 29, in 1973, she defeated 55-year-old Bobby Riggs in the famous “Battle of the Sexes” match. She founded both the Women’s Tennis Association and the Women’s Sports Foundation. In the 1970s, she played a key role in getting Virginia Slims to sponsor women’s tennis, and later served on the board of its parent company, Philip Morris, in the 2000s.
King entered the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1987. In 2010, she received the Fed Cup Award of Excellence. She was co-winner of the *Sports Illustrated* Sportsman of the Year award in 1972 (with John Wooden) and was named one of *Time*’s Persons of the Year in 1975. Her other honors include the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the *Sunday Times* Sportswoman of the Year lifetime achievement award, and induction into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 1990. In 2006, the USTA National Tennis Center in New York was renamed the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. She won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018. The Federation Cup was renamed the Billie Jean King Cup in 2020. She received the French Legion of Honour in 2022 and a Congressional Gold Medal in 2024.
**Early life and education** Billie Jean Moffitt was born in Long Beach, California, into a Methodist family. Her mother, Betty (née Jerman), was a housewife who excelled at swimming; her father, Bill Moffitt, was a firefighter who played basketball, baseball, and ran track. Her younger brother, Randy Moffitt, became a Major League Baseball pitcher for the San Francisco Giants, Houston Astros, and Toronto Blue Jays over 12 seasons. As a child, King played baseball and softball, and at age 10 she played shortstop on a team with girls four to five years older. That team won the Long Beach softball championship.
At age 11, her parents suggested she switch to a more “ladylike” sport, so she moved from softball to tennis. She saved $8 (about $92.40 in 2024) to buy her first racket. She took her first lesson with a school friend
- born
- November 22, 1943
- field
- Tennis
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- 39 Grand Slam titles; 1973 'Battle of the Sexes' win; gender equality advocacy
Lore & Background
Billie Jean Moffitt was born in Long Beach, California, into a Methodist family. Her father was a firefighter, her mother a housewife, and her younger brother Randy Moffitt became a Major League Baseball pitcher. She excelled at baseball and softball as a child, playing shortstop at age 10 on a team that won the Long Beach softball championship. She switched to tennis at age 11 because her parents suggested she find a more 'ladylike' sport, saving $8 to buy her first racket. She attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School and later Los Angeles State College (now Cal State LA), leaving in 1964 to focus on tennis. She met Larry King in a library in 1963; they married on September 17, 1965. King returned to college in 2025 and completed her history degree in May 2026 at age 82.
King made her Grand Slam debut at the 1959 U.S. Championships at age 15. She won her first Wimbledon women's doubles title in 1961 at age 17, partnering Karen Hantze. In 1962, she upset top seed Margaret Court at Wimbledon. King won a career Grand Slam in singles in 1972 and also in mixed doubles. She won a record 20 career titles at Wimbledon. She was a member of the victorious United States team in seven Federation Cups and nine Wightman Cups. King was instrumental in persuading Virginia Slims to sponsor women's tennis in the 1970s and later served on the board of their parent company Philip Morris in the 2000s.
Reader's Guide
Billie Jean King's significance extends beyond her 39 Grand Slam titles. She was a central figure in the fight for gender equality in sports, most visibly through her 1973 'Battle of the Sexes' victory over Bobby Riggs. As founder of the Women's Tennis Association and the Women's Sports Foundation, she helped create institutional structures for women athletes. Her role in securing Virginia Slims sponsorship for women's tennis in the 1970s was pivotal for the professional women's tour. King's legacy is recognized through numerous honors: induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame (1987), the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the French Legion of Honour (2022), and a Congressional Gold Medal (2024). The USTA National Tennis Center was renamed the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in 2006, and the Federation Cup was renamed the Billie Jean King Cup in 2020. Her career prize money totaled US$1,966,487, and she won 129 singles titles. King's impact on tennis and social justice remains a benchmark for athletes and advocates.
Did You Know?
- King won a record 20 career titles at Wimbledon: six in singles, ten in women's doubles, and four in mixed doubles.
- She was forbidden from being in a group photo at a tournament as a youth because she wore tennis shorts instead of a white tennis dress.
- King completed her history degree at Cal State LA in May 2026 at age 82, having left the school in 1964.
- She was one of the Time Persons of the Year in 1975.
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