Billie Jean King (born November 22, 1943) is a legendary American tennis player who dominated the sport, winning an incredible 39 Grand Slam titles—12 in singles, 16 in women's doubles, and 11 in mixed doubles. Beyond her athletic prowess, she became a global icon for gender equality, famously defeating 55-year-old Bobby Riggs in the 1973 "Battle of the Sexes" match and co-founding the Women's Tennis Association and the Women's Sports Foundation. Her advocacy helped secure sponsorship for women's tennis in the 1970s, and she has received numerous honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the renaming of the USTA National Tennis Center in her honor (2006), and the Federation Cup being renamed the Billie Jean King Cup in 2020, followed by a Congressional Gold Medal in 2024. Starting her journey in Long Beach, California, she switched from softball to tennis at age 11 after her parents suggested a more "ladylike" sport, saving $8 for her first racket. In a remarkable recent achievement, she returned to college and completed her history degree from Cal State LA in 2026 at the age of 82, proving her lifelong commitment to breaking barriers.