Billie Jean King Trivia Questions

King co-founded the Women's Sports Foundation in 1974 to promote equality and opportunities for girls and women in sports.

She never played basketball professionally. She excelled in tennis from a young age and focused solely on it, though she was athletic in other sports recreationally.

She held the world No. 1 ranking from 1966 through 1971—six consecutive year-end top spots, often cited as five full seasons.

Her first Grand Slam title was at Wimbledon in 1961—in women's doubles, not mixed. She was 17, not 16, and the mixed doubles win came later.

Billie Jean King led the formation of the WTA in 1973 to unite women's professional tennis, securing equal prize money and player rights.

Many women received it before her, including Helen Keller and Margaret Mead. King got it in 2009, but was not the first female athlete—that was perhaps Babe Didrikson Zaharias (honored posthumously in 2021).

She lost to Chris Evert in the 1978 Wimbledon semifinals at age 34, and to others later. She had several losses after 30.

In 1970, King and eight other players signed $1 contracts with promoter Gladys Heldman; King personally invested her own winnings to launch the Virginia Slims tour.