Billie Jean King’s tennis career and her lasting impact

American tennis player Billie Jean Moffitt (later King) in action during a semi final in the women's singles championship at Wimbledon, 2nd July 1964.

American tennis player Billie Jean King (Billie Jean Moffitt) in action against Elizabeth Starkie of Great Britain in the second round of the Women's Singles tournament at the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in Wimbledon, London on 24th June 1965.

American tennis player Billie Jean King holds the winner's trophy after the Final of the Women's Singles tournament at Wimbledon, All England Lawn Tennis Club, London, July 1966.

American tennis player Billie Jean King during the Wimbledon championships in London, UK, 2nd July 1966.

Tennis player Billie Jean King of the United States in action at the Women's Singles Final, Wimbledon, 8th July 1967. King went on to beat Ann Jones of Great Britain 6-3, 6-4.

Press photographers gather around as Billie Jean King of the United States holds the Venus Rosewater Dish aloft after defeating Ann Jones of Great Britain in their Women's Singles Final match on Centre Court at the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championship on 7th July 1967 at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, England. Billie Jean King won the match and championship 6 - 3, 6 - 4.

Billie Jean King of the United States during the Women's Singles Final match against Judy Tegart Dalton of Australia at the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis championships on 5th July 1968, at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon in London, England.

American tennis star Billie Jean King (Billie Jean Moffitt) (centre) sitting at a pavement cafe with tennis partner Carole Caldwell (left).

Billie Jean King stands on the court during a match at Wimbledon in England.

Billie Jean King serves the ball during a match at Wimbledon in England.

Billie Jean King of the United States during the Women's Singles Final match against Margaret Court at the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis championships on 3 July 1970, at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon in London, England.

A jubilant Billie Jean King of the USA holds up the women's singles trophy at Wimbledon after winning it for the fourth time, beating Evonne Goolagong.

American tennis player Billie Jean King with her trophies at Wimbledon after the Championships, UK, 8th July 1973. She is holding the trophy for the Women's Singles, with the Women's Doubles and Mixed Doubles trophies on the table in front of her. She thus completed the coveted 'Triple Crown'.

Billie Jean King during 1974 Family Circle Cup Tournament at Hilton Head.

Billie Jean King during 1974 Family Circle Cup Tournament at Hilton Head.

Billie Jean King of the United States during the Women's Singles Quarterfinall match against Martina Navratilova at the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championship on 2 July 1980, at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon in London, England.

Billie Jean King of the USA in action during the Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon in London July 1982.

Billie Jean King of the USA holds the trophy aloft after the Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon in London. King won the Women's Singles event.

Tennis great Billie Jean King waves as she accepts the 1999 Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 1999 ESPN network's ESPY Awards show at New York's Radio City Music Hall, February 15. King was honored for her lifelong work towards the advancement of women in sports.

US captain Billie Jean King is congratulated by team members after Monica Seles defeated Justine Henin of Belgium in the Fed Cup semi-finals, 22 November 2000, at the Mandalay Bay resort in Las Vegas. Seles won 7-6 (7/1), 6-2.

US Senator Hillary Clinton (L) watches tennis hall of famer Billie Jean King acknowledge the crowd as they watch the match of Serena Williams of the US and Anca Barna of Germany during their first round matches at the 2001 US Open at Flushing Meadows, New York, 27 August 2001.

Women's Sports Foundation founder Billie Jean King speaks during a ceremony at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York, NY.

Billie Jean King, coach of the US Fed Cup team, encourages Monica Seles in her match against Austria's Barbara Schwartz in Charlotte, NC, 27 April 2002. Schwartz defeated Seles in straight sets 7-6 (9-7), 6-2 to give Austria a 2-0 Fed Cup lead.

Tennis Hall of Famer Billie Jean King attends a press conference for the Women's Sports Foundation annual salute to women athletes in 2004 on October 18, 2004, in New York City. Founded in 1974 by King, the Women's Sports Foundation is a national charitable educational organization seeking to advance the lives of girls and women through sports and physical activity.

Serena Williams, Billie Jean King and Venus Williams pose at the net before the women's final match of the US Open at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York. Venus defeats Serena 6-2, 6-4.

Tennis legend Billie Jean King and USTA President Franklin Johnson pose next to a plaque during the opening ceremony for the US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows Corona Park on August 28, 2006, in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York.

Musician Elton John and honoree Billie Jean King share a laugh on stage at "An Enduring Vision" the fifth annual benefit for The Elton John AIDS Foundation at The Waldorf-Astoria October 3, 2006, in New York City.

Tennis player Billie Jean King poses with her World Athlete Award in the media room backstage at the 3rd Annual Women's World Awards at Hammerstein Ballroom October 14, 2006, in New York City.

Former Tennis player Billie Jean King and US figure skater Michelle Kwan pose for a photo during the Women's Sports Foundation's 28th Annual Salute to Women in Sports at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel on October 15, 2007, in New York City.

Billie Jean King watches children take part in her tennis mentoring clinic during the Sony Ericsson Championships at the Khalifa Tennis Complex on November 8, 2008, in Dohar, Qatar.

Venus Williams of the U.S. holds her trophy next to tennis great Billie Jean King after defeating Vera Zvonareva of Russia in the WTA Tour Championships final tennis match in Doha November 9, 2008.

Serena Williams (R) holds the Billie Jean King cup presented by Billie Jean King (C) after she beat her sister Venus, holding the consolation trophy, to win the BNP Paribas Showdown tennis match at Madison Square Garden in New York March 2, 2009.

Tennis player Billie Jean King walks onstage during the 30th Annual Salute To Women In Sports Awards at The Waldorf Astoria on October 13, 2009, in New York City.

U.S. President Barack Obama (R) presents the Medal of Freedom to tennis champion Billie Jean King during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House August 12, 2009, in Washington, DC. Obama presented the medal, the highest civilian honor in the United States, to 16 recipients during the ceremony.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth greets Billie Jean King as she attends the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London June 24, 2010. It is the first visit by Queen Elizabeth to the Championships in 33 years.

Tennis legend Billie Jean King receives her Birthday cake during her 70th Birthday Party organized by the Women's Sports Foundation at the Museum of Art and Design on November 6, 2013, in New York City.

Billie Jean King speaks onstage during the Women's Sports Foundation's 35th Annual Salute to Women In Sports awards, a celebration and a fundraiser to ensure more girls and women have access to sports at Cipriani Wall Street on October 15, 2014, in New York City.

Billie Jean King presents back-to-back World Gymnastics Champion Simone Biles with the Sportswoman of the Year Award (individual) during the Women's Sports Foundation's 35th Annual Salute to Women In Sports awards, a celebration and a fundraiser to ensure more girls and women have access to sports, at Cipriani Wall Street on October 15, 2014, in New York City.

Serena Williams of USA shares a joke with Billie Jean King after her win over Simona Halep of Romania in the final during day seven of the BNP Paribas WTA Finals tennis at the Singapore Sports Hub on October 26, 2014, in Singapore.

Billie Jean King poses for a photo backstage at the 2015 Glamour Women Of The Year Awards at Carnegie Hall on November 9, 2015, in New York City.

Billie Jean King attends the 2018 New York City Pride March on June 24, 2018, in New York City.

YYayuk Basuki, Alicia Molik, Lindsey Davenport, Jennifer Capriati, Chris Evert, Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova, Monica Seles, Kim Clijsters, Iva Majoli, and Tamarine Tanasugarn take a selfie during day 4 of the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global at Gardens by the Bay on October 24, 2018, in Singapore.

Women’s Sports Foundation Founder Billie Jean King presents Billie Jean King Leadership Award to recipient Dawn Staley on stage during The Women's Sports Foundation's 2022 Annual Salute To Women In Sports Gala at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers on October 12, 2022, in New York City.

Billie Jean King attends the WTA 50th Anniversary Gala at The Ziegfeld Ballroom on August 25, 2023, in New York City.

Billie Jean King lights the Empire State Building in honor of the Women's Sports Foundation's 50th Anniversary at The Empire State Building on May 02, 2024, in New York City.

Billie Jean King speaks onstage during the 2024 New York #LWTSUMMIT on September 19, 2024, in New York City.

Billie Jean King poses for a portrait ahead of the Billie Jean King Cup by Gainbridge Finals 2025 at Shenzhen Bay Sports Centre Arena on September 15, 2025, in Shenzhen, China.

Billie Jean King attends her Hollywood Walk of Fame Star Ceremony on April 07, 2025, in Hollywood, California.