Billie Jean King

By Sylvain_Liaboeuf
  • Birth

    Birth

    Billie Jean King was born at Long Beach in California, US
  • Period: to

    Career

  • Period: to

    20 Wimbledon titles

    She won a record 20 career titles at Wimbledon – six in singles, 10 in women's doubles, and four in mixed doubles.
  • Won the Wimbledon double

    Won the Wimbledon double

    She won the Wimbledon doubles championship with Karen Hantze
  • A historic year

    A historic year

    With her victories in 1967, she was the first woman since 1938 to sweep the U.S. and British singles, doubles, and mixed doubles titles in a single year.
  • Turned professionnal

    Turned professionnal

  • Became the first woman athlete to win more than 100 000$ in one season

  • Battle of the Sexes

    Battle of the Sexes

    In 1973, King defeated Bobby Riggs, who had been a top men's player in the 1930s and 1940s, in an exhibition match, winning $100,000.

  • President of the WTA

    She was one of the founders and the first president of the Women’s Tennis Association
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    Captain of the United States Fed Cup team and coach of its women's Olympic tennis squad

    She became the captain of the United States Fed Cup team and coach of its women's Olympic tennis squad
  • Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom

    Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom

    President Barack Obama awarded King the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her work advocating for the rights of women and the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community