Contents
Billie Jean King
Winning tennis titles while campaigning for equal treatment in sport.
Battle of the Sexes · Women’s tennis
- Born
- 22 November 1943
- Birthplace
- Long Beach, California, USA
More people
Billie Jean King
An American tennis champion who helped organise the women’s professional game and pushed for gender equality.
Early life
Athletic family
Grew up in Long Beach; her brother Randy became a professional baseball player.
Public courts
Learned tennis on local public courts.
Career
- 1961
Wimbledon breakthrough
Won the women’s doubles title with Karen Hantze.
- 1966
Singles champion
Won her first Wimbledon singles title.
- 1973
Players’ organisation
Helped establish the Women’s Tennis Association.
Achievements
Three singles majors
Won the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open.
Battle of the Sexes
Defeated Bobby Riggs in the widely televised exhibition.
Sixth Wimbledon singles title
Completed her final singles triumph at the tournament.
Beyond tennis
Sports advocacy
Founded the Women’s Sports Foundation in 1974.
Equality
Has advocated for women’s opportunities and LGBTQ rights.
Sources & photo credit
Biographical reference ↗US Open: the campaign for equal prize money ↗Photo: Claire Fridkin. CC BY-SA 4.0 · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
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