Billie Jean KingTENNISKing founded the Women's Sports Foundation in 1974. She was named one of the 20th Century's "100 Most Important Americans" by Life

magazine in 1990. Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama. King is the honorary chair of the Foundation's

Board of Trustees and has served two previous terms on the board as a trustee (1983-87, 1996-97). She formerly served on the finance and

strategic planning committees. On August 28, 2006, the National Tennis Center, home of the U. S. Open, was renamed the USTA Billie Jean

King National Tennis Center, in honor of her contributions to tennis, sports and society both on and off the court, making her the first U.S.

woman to have a sports stadium named after her. King received the International Olympic Committee Women in Sport World Trophy in

September 2003. She won 71 singles and 21 doubles titles, including a record 20 Wimbledon titles. She remains one of the most illustrious

players in tennis history. She achieved the world's highest ranking five times between 1966 and 1972 and held a place in the top 10 for a

total of 17 years. In 1973, she defeated Bobby Riggs in straight sets to win the landmark "Battle of the Sexes" match. Retiring from the sport

in 1983, King remains one of only eight women to have won a singles title in each of the four Grand Slam tournaments. In 1999, King

received the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage in recognition of her work for social change and also became the first woman to be given the

NFL Players Association Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1998, she was the first athlete to be awarded with the Elizabeth Blackwell

Award, which is given to women whose lives exemplify outstanding service to humanity.

In 1997, she received the Women's Sports Foundation's Flo Hyman Award. She was honored with the March of Dimes Lifetime

Achievement Award for her commitment to helping others in 1994. She was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame (1990), The

International Tennis Hall of Fame (1987) and the International Women's Sports Hall of Fame (1980). She was the first woman to be named

Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year, in 1972. King coached the Olympic gold-medal-winning 1996 and 2000 U.S. women's tennis

teams and captained the U.S. Fed Cup team from 1995 to 1996 and from 1998 to 2003, leading the United States to the title in 1999 and 2000.

She co-founded World TeamTennis (WTT) in 1974, which continues today as a 12-team professional league. King also has worked

extensively as a commentator on ABC, CBS, CTV, HBO and NBC. A founder of the Women's Tennis Association in 1973, she was its first

president from 1973 to 1975 and again from 1980 to 1981. In order to promote equality of life and opportunity for all, she set up the Billie

Jean King WTT Charities Foundation in 1998 and remains on its board of trustees. She lends charitable support to the fight against AIDS,

acting as a director of both the Elton John AIDS Foundation and the National AIDS Fund.

King is the first woman to have a major sporting venue named in her honor, the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New

York.

First female athlete to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom

Recipient of the NCAA’s President Gerald R. Ford Award

Named by Life magazine as one of the “100 Most Important Americans of the 20th Century,”

Winner of 39 Grand Slam singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles, including a record 20 titles at Wimbledon

First woman to have a major sporting venue named in her honor

Women’s Sports Foundation Founder

MORE ABOUT BILLIE JEAN KING

BILLIE JEAN KING

The Billie Awards

In recognition of media’s cultural impact and power

to shape public opinion of female athletes, the

Foundation created the Billie Awards in 2006.

LEARN MORE

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Women's Sports Foundation

BILLIE JEAN KING ON THE WEBLIKE HER ON FACEBOOK (http://www.facebook.com/amandabeard#!/billiejeanking)

FOLLOW HER ON TWITTER (http://www.twitter.com/billiejking)

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Our Founder

As one of the 20th century's most respected and

influential people, Billie Jean King has long been a

champion for social change and equality.

OUR FOUNDER

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Our History

The Women’s Sports Foundation was established in

1974 to advance the lives of women and girls through

sports.

SEE OUR HISTORY

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WOMEN'S SPORTS FOUNDATIONFounded By Billie Jean King

© 2011 Women’s Sports Foundation. All rights reserved.