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Billie Jean King is an American tennis player born in 1943 who became one of the most dominant and influential figures in the sport's history. She matters because she was a pioneering advocate for gender equality in sports, famously winning the "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match against Bobby Riggs in 1973 and fighting for equal prize money and opportunities for women athletes.
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- Total plays
- 32
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Wikidata facts
- Official website
- www.billiejeanking.com
- Image
- Billie Jean King at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival 02 (cropped).jpg
Article
Billie Jean King (née Moffitt; born November 22, 1943) is an American former world No. 1 tennis player. King won 39 Grand Slam titles: 12 in singles, 16 in women's doubles, and 11 in mixed doubles. She was a member of the victorious United States team in seven Federation Cups and nine Wightman Cups.
King is an advocate of gender equality and has long been a pioneer for equality and social justice. In 1973, at the age of 29, she famously won the "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match against the 55-year-old Bobby Riggs. King was also the founder of the Women's Tennis Association and the Women's Sports Foundation. She was instrumental in persuading cigarette brand Virginia Slims to sponsor women's tennis in the 1970s and went on to serve on the board of their parent company Philip Morris in the 2000s.
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1943 births20th-century American LGBTQ people21st-century American LGBTQ peopleAmerican female tennis playersAmerican feministsAmerican lesbian sportswomenAmerican recipients of the Legion of HonourAmerican tennis commentatorsAmerican women sports commentatorsAngel City FC ownersAustralian Championships (tennis) championsBBC Sports Personality Lifetime Achievement Award recipients