Billie Jean King Cup
Billie Jean King did not launch the competition. It was launched in 1963 by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) under the name Federation Cup to celebrate the federation's 50th anniversary. The tournament changed its name to the Fed Cup in 1995 and was renamed the Billie Jean King Cup in 2020 to honour her immense contribution to the sport.
Grand Slam Titles
She won 39 Grand Slam titles in total, including 12 in singles, 16 in doubles, and 11 in mixed doubles.
Number One
Reached the world No. 1 singles ranking multiple times between 1966 and 1974.
Milestone Earner
Became the first female athlete to earn over $100,000 in a single prize-money season (1971)
The 'Battle of the Sexes'
Billie Jean King defeated former men's No. 1 Bobby Riggs in the famous 1973 'Battle of the Sexes' tennis match. Watched by an estimated 90 million people globally, the win elevated the profile of women's tennis and significantly advanced the fight for equality in sports.
WTA
Billie Jean King initiated the launch of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) in June 1973 during a historic meeting of over 60 players at the Gloucester Hotel in London, just one week before Wimbledon.
Hall of Fame
Billie Jean King was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame for her phenomenal and dominant singles and doubles career in 1987.
She was inducted a second time in 2021 for launching 'The Original 9', the pioneering group of female professional tennis players who initiated a breakaway women's circuit that directly led to the creation of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA)