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She was the greatest competitor in the world of tennis. She was an aggressive, hard-hitting, net-rusher with excellent speed. The winner of ‘Battle of Sexes,’ a victory Billie Jean won for all women. Here are 47 facts about the tennis player:
- King founded the ‘Women’s Tennis Association’ (WTA) on June 1973, the principal organizing body of women’s professional tennis.
- King was born on November 22, 1943 in Long Beach, California.
- Her father Bill Moffitt, is a firefighter and her mother Betty a housewife. She has a brother, Randy Moffitt a major League Base Ball pitcher.
- King attended Long Beach High School and California State University, Los Angeles.
- King up to the age of 10 was involved with Softball sport before switching to tennis. Her early tennis lesson was in the free public court in Long Beach. Her first coach was Clyde Walker.
- By the age of 15 she won ‘Southern California Championship’ in her age group. She started getting weekend coaching from Alice Marble.
- In the year 1960 she won her first adult tournament in the ‘Philadelphia and District Women’s Grass Court Championship.’
- In the year 1961, in company of Karen Hantze Susman, King won her first major title, the Women’s Doubles Title at Wimbledon. She was sponsored to the tournament by the people of Long Beach.
- In 1962 ‘Wimbledon Grass Court Tournament’ King defeated, then Number 1 singles player Margaret Court in the second round. She reached quarterfinal before losing to Ann Haydon Jones in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1.
- King returned to Wimbledon in 1963 and reached the singles finals before losing to Margaret Court. She had defeated the third seed Ann Haydon Jones in the semi-final.
- King achieved mixed result as a part time player. She was helped by businessman Robert Mitchell to play full time tennis and was send to Australia to train under coach Mervyn Rose.
- In 1965 the United States Lawn Tennis Association overruled the ranking and awarded number 1 seed to King along with Nancy Richey Gunter.
- In 1966, King defeated Margaret Court for the first time in nine attempts to lift the ‘South African Tennis Championship.’
- After six years wait in the year 1966 aged 22, King won her maiden Wimbledon Singles Title. She defeated Margaret Court en-route to the final, where she defeated Maria Bueno.
- King played the ‘French Open’ for the first time in 1967 and reached the quarterfinal. She was prevented by USLTA from playing in the French Open in the past, to be available for the Grass Court Tournament in the USA.
- King successfully defended her Wimbledon title in 1967, defeating Adrianne Haydon 6-3, 6-4 in the finals.
- In the same year King won her first US Championship for the first time defeating Ann Haydon Jones in the final by 11-9, 6-4 shorelines.
- King had the distinction of winning Singles, Doubles and Mixed Doubles title at the 1967 Wimbledon and US Championship. First women since 1939 to achieve the feat after Alice Marble.
- King won ‘Western Australia Championship’ and ‘Tasmanian Championship’ in the beginning of 1968. She completed her Australian tour with her first ‘Australian Championship’. She defeated Margaret Court in the final.
- King won her third Wimbledon Singles Title by defeating Judy Tegart Dalton 7-5, 9-7 in the finals. She also won the doubles title along with Rosemary Casals.
- On September 23, 1068 King underwent surgery to repair damaged cartilage in her left knee. She was out of tennis for eight months for full recovery.
- King went through 1969 season without a single Grand Slam title since 1965. She was troubled by tennis elbow.
- At the 1970 Wimbledon Championship King lost to Margaret Court in the final 14-12, 11-9. It was described as the one of the greatest classic women’s match of all time. The match lasted for over two and half hours.
- King had a very successful 1971tennis season, when she won 38 titles including 17 singles titles. She was the first women players to earn over 100,000 dollars in single year. She earned 117,000 dollars.
- In September 1971, King was fined 2,500 US Dollars in the Pepsi South West Open, Los Angeles by the United States Lawn Tennis Association. King and her opponent Rosemary Casals requested for change of lineswomen and were defaulted.
- In 1972 King skipped the Australian Open but went on to win the other three major titles ie The French Open, The Wimbledon and The US Open. She won the all the three tournament for the loss of one set in all.
- After formation Womens Tennis Association in 1973, King demanded for equality in prize money and US Open became the first major tournament to offer equal prize money to both men and women.
- At the US Open in 1973, King was affected by the oppressive heat and humidity in the fourth round against Julie Heldman. King forfeited the match after Heldman objected to Kings long break between games.
- On September 20, 1973 King won an exhibition match against Bobby Riggs, 6-4, 6-3,6-3 to win a prize money of 100,000 US Dollars. The match was billed as ‘Battle of Sexes.’
- King co-founded the World Team Tennis (WTT,) the professional tennis league in 1974. The teams compete for the King Trophy.
- King won her sixth Wimbledon Championship defeating fourth seeded Goolagong Cawley 6-0, 6-1. King dominated the match completely to describe as ‘Near Perfect Match.’
- King announced her retirement from singles play after winning the 1975 Wimbledon title.
- On November 9, 1976 King had surgery on her right knee for the third time. She lost three month tennis in rehabilitation.
- Returning from retirement, King participated in the ‘Lionel Cup Tournament,’ in San Antonio Texas. She was criticized by the WTA due to participation of Transsexual Renee Richards.
- After losing to Chris Evert in the quarterfinals of 1977 Wimbledon 6-1,-6-2, King felt playing is, that’s winning enough for me, at this stage of my career.
- At the 1979 Wimbledon Championship partnering Navaratilova, King won her 20 and last Wimbledon title. She beat the record of Elizabeth Ryan’s 19 titles a day after Ryan’s death.
- In 1980 Wimbledon Championship King lost the quarterfinals to Navaratilova 7-6, 1-6,10-8. She was troubled by the rain and by her eyeglasses, which broke at crucial time.
- At the age of 38 years in 1982 when King reached the semi-final of Wimbledon, she became the oldest female semifinalist at Wimbledon since 1920.
- King became the oldest female player to win a singles tournament, when she won the Birmingham Tournament at the age of 39 years, 7 months and 23 days.
- King was inducted in to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in the year 1987.
- Life magazine in 1990 named her in the list of 100 Most Important American of the 20thCentury. She was the only female sports person in the list.
- In 1996, King guided the women’s tennis squad to Federation Cup and to Olympic medals in singles and doubles.
- King divorced her husband Lary King, whom she married in 1965 for a long term relationship with former player Llana Klos.
- In 2006, the New York city tennis facility was renamed as USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre in her honor.
- King was the first female sports person to be awarded the nation’s highest honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom on August 12, 2009. King was presented the award by President Obama in a ceremony at The White House.
- King had double knee replacement surgery In February 2010 and resumed active life at 68 years.
- King won 39 Grand Slam titles consisting of 12 singles, 16 doubles and 11 mixed doubles titles.
