Billie Jean King

Her parents were Bill Moffitt, a firefighter, and Mrs. Moffitt, a stay-at-home mom. Her brother Randy Moffitt is also a retired professional athlete, pitching for the big leagues in baseball like the San Francisco Giants, the Houston Astros, and the Toronto Blue Jays.

King’s decision to focus her athletic interest on tennis proves to be the greatest decision she has ever made in her life.

Her initial love was softball, a sport she was also very good at; her mother however disapproved of its tough masculine nature and encouraged Billie Jean to take up another sport. When she discovered tennis, at twelve years old, the future tennis star knew it was her destiny to play competitively.

On September 17, 1965, at twenty-two (22) years old, she married Lawrence King, the man who supported her tennis career and her feminist ideals. They eventually divorced when King discovered she was a lesbian.

Career

At merely seventeen years old, Billie Jean was ranked no. 4 in the world, a distinction she earned after winning the doubles title at Wimbledon in her very first attempt.

Her impressive roster of wins includes twelve (12) Grand Slam singles titles, sixteen (16) Grand Slam women’s doubles titles, and eleven (11) Grand Slam mixed doubles titles.

On September 20, 1973, King played against Bobby Riggs, a self-proclaimed chauvinist, in the play dubbed, “The Battle of the Sexes.” King won, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. It was the deciding factor that made women’s tennis a respectable and serious sports event, and what made the play of women equal to the play of men in the spectators’ perception.

In 1990, she was named to the National Women’s Hall of Fame, and in 2006, the USTA National Tennis Center was renamed the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

In 2010, she was awarded the Fed Cup Award of Excellence. She has also been given the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year lifetime achievement award. In 2018, she was given the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award.

In 2020, the Federation Cup was renamed the Billie Jean King Cup. In 2022, she was also awarded the French Legion of Honor.

Career Record

Singles

• Career Record: 695–155 (81.76%)

• Career Titles: 129 (67 during the open era)

• Highest Ranking: No. 1 (1966, Lance Tingay)

Grand Slam Singles Performances

• Australian Open - W (1968)
• French Open - W (1972)
• Wimbledon - W (1966, 1967, 1968, 1972, 1973, 1975)
• US Open - W (1967, 1971, 1972, 1974)

Doubles

• Career Record: 87–37 (as shown on the WTA website)[1]

• Highest Ranking: No. 1 (1967)

Grand Slam Doubles Performances

• Australian Open - F (1965, 1969)
• French Open - W (1972)
• Wimbledon - W (1961, 1962, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1979)
• US Open - W (1964, 1967, 1974, 1978, 1980)

Other Doubles Performances

• Tour Finals - W (1974, 1976, 1978, 1980)

Mixed Doubles

• Career Titles: 11

Grand Slam Mixed Doubles Performances

• Australian Open - W (1968)
• French Open - W (1967, 1970)
• Wimbledon - W (1967, 1971, 1973, 1974)
• US Open - W (1967, 1971, 1973, 1976)

Team Competitions

• Fed Cup (as player) - W (1963, 1966, 1967, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979)
• Fed Cup (as captain) - W (1976, 1996, 1999, 2000) (as captain)

Coaching Career

• Tim Mayotte
• Martina Navratilova

People Ask

What is Billie Jean King famous for?

She is famous for playing tennis and is considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time.

How many Grand Slams has Billie Jean King won?

Billie Jean King holds a total of 39 Grand Slam titles - 12 singles, 16 women’s doubles, and 11 mixed doubles titles.

How many times has Billie Jean King won Wimbledon?

A total of 20. She has a total of Wimbledon title wins, including 6 singles titles, 10 women’s doubles, and 4 mixed doubles.