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  2. Nov 2, 2023 · Just five years after her high-school-gym debut, King was playing before a worldwide audience in the Astrodome, where she changed history again by beating Bobby Riggs in the Battle of the...

  3. Billie Jean spoke out about the inequities, but the tennis world refused to change. In response, she and eight other players signed a $1 contract with Gladys Heldman, the publisher of World Tennis Magazine. Through the contract, the players broke away to play in a women’s only tournament in Houston, Texas.

  4. www.history.com › womens-history › billie-jean-kingBillie Jean King - HISTORY

    Nov 9, 2009 · In 1974, Billie Jean King became the first president of the Women’s Tennis Association. She headed up the first professional women’s tour, the Virginia Slims, in the 1970s.

  5. Billie Jean King was the rare athlete who brought together sport and feminism, and, in doing so, she put a human face on the ideals of liberal feminism” (Paule-Koba). Since her win against Riggs, King has started her own tour for women to create equal pay for them, influenced and aided the title IX legislation, and helped create the Women ...

  6. In 1966, Billie Jean King achieved the goal she set for herself as a young girl when she was ranked #1 in the world in women’s tennis. She held the #1 ranking for five additional years (1967-1968, 1971-1972, and 1974).

  7. King and Kloss founded the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative in 2014, a non-profit organization that seeks to rid workplaces of discrimination based on race, gender, and sexuality. King’s legacy of achievement and advocacy continues to inspire female and LGBTQ athletes around the world.

  8. Jun 11, 2024 · Billie Jean King, American tennis player whose influence and playing style elevated the status of women’s professional tennis. In her career she won 39 major titles, competing in both singles and doubles. She was also known for defeating Bobby Riggs in a ‘Battle of the Sexes’ match in 1973.