Bancroft

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Billie-Jean King

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1975

 

Billie Jean King (born Moffitt; November 22, 1943) was world No. 1. King won 39 major titles. She was a member of the victorious United States team in 7 Federation Cups and 9 Wightman Cups. For 3 years, she was the U.S. captain in the Federation Cup.

 

King is an advocate of gender equality and has long been a pioneer for equality and social justice. In 1973, at age 29, she won the "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match against the 55-year-old Bobby Riggs. King was also the founder of the Women's Tennis Association and the Women's Sports Foundation. She was instrumental in persuading cigarette brand Virginia Slims to sponsor women's tennis in the 1970s and went on to serve on the board of their parent company Philip Morris in the 2000s. 

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Regarded by many as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, King was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1987. In 2020, the Federation Cup was renamed the Billie Jean King Cup in her honor. In 2022, she was awarded the French Legion of Honour.