SportsCivil Rights
A legendary life
Billie Jean King
Born 1943
Champion tennis player and lifelong advocate for gender equality and social justice.
Her story
A life that changed history
Billie Jean King won 39 Grand Slam titles and represented the United States in Federation Cup and Wightman Cup competition. Her 1973 victory over Bobby Riggs in the Battle of the Sexes became a landmark cultural moment in the campaign for equality in sports.
“Pressure is a privilege, and champions adjust.”
Remark to Lindsay Davenport during the 2000 Fed Cup