Played is one of the most illustrious and celebrated tennis players in history. A trailblazer, she is famous the world over for spearheading the women's movement in tennis and for her lifelong struggle for equality in women's tennis. In 1990, Life magazine named her one of the "100 Most Important Americans of the 20th Century." In 1994, she was ranked No. 5 on Sports Illustrated's "Top 40 Athletes" list for her role in significantly altering and elevating sports over the last four decades. In 1997, she was honored at the White House with the prestigious Flo Hyman Award, and she also won the "Player Who Makes a Difference Award" from Family Circle.
Billie Jean won a record 20 Wimbledon titles. She was ranked No. 1 in the world five times between 1966 and 1972, and was in the Top 10 for a total of 17 years (beginning in 1960). She has had a career of firsts. In 1968, she was the first woman of the open era to sign a pro contract. In 1971, she was the first woman athlete to win more than $100,000 in any sport. She is the only woman to ever win the U.S. Open singles titles on all four surfaces on which it has been played (grass, clay, carpet, and hard courts). She is also one of only eight women to hold a singles title in each of the Grand Slam events. In 1984, she became the first female commissioner in professional sports history (for World TeamTennis), and in 1974, she became the first woman to coach a co-ed team in professional sports (the Philadelphia Freedoms of World TeamTennis).
Her many other accomplishments include winning 13 U.S. Open titles, one Australian Open title, four French Open titles, and 695 career singles victories. She was ranked in the U.S. top ten for a total of 18 years, and ranked No. 1 on the U.S. doubles list for 12 years. She currently holds the record for the most total wins in Federation Cup play, including 27 consecutive doubles matches.
In 1973, she won a "Battle of the Sexes" match, defeating Bobby Riggs in a nationally televised event at Houston's Astrodome that still holds the record for the most people (30,472) to ever attend a single tennis match. In 1979, she teamed with Martina Navratilova to win the Wimbledon doubles title and break the record for most career wins at Wimbledon (now 20). Billie Jean was captain of the U.S. Federation Cup Team, which won the title over Spain in 1996. She also coached the U.S. Federation Cup Team in 1998, and the 1996 U.S. Olympic Women's Tennis Team.
She is co-founder of World TeamTennis, and has been its director since 1985. She founded the World TeamTennis Professional League in 1981, the Women's Tennis Association in 1973, and the Women's Sports Foundation in 1974. She does color commentary at Wimbledon for HBO, and is also the national ambassador for AIM, a charity for handicapped children.
Billie Jean has co-authored five books: Tennis To Win (with Kim Chapin, 1970), Billie Jean (with Kim Chapin, 1974); Tennis Love: A Parent's Guide To The Sport (with Greg Hoffman, 1978); Billie Jean (with Frank Deford, 1982); and We Have Come a Long Way: The History of Women's Tennis (with Cynthia Starr, 1988).
Billie Jean resides in Chicago, Illinois. She serves on the board of directors for the Women's Tennis Association, the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and the National AIDS Fund, and is a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame and the National Women's Hall of Fame.
'Ugly Betty' finale features Vanessa Williams in grand formBoston Herald, United StatesBy Amy Amatangelo In the season finale of abc's “Ugly Betty” (tonight at 8 on WCVB, Ch. 5), Vanessa Williams' Wilhelmina Slater plays tennis with Billie Jean King, sings “The Man That Got Away” with Christine Baranski and undergoes her first-ever
GREAT SPORTING QUOTES OF OUR TIMEIrish Times, IrelandAmerican tennis player Bobby Riggs . . . before losing in straight sets to Billie Jean King in the 1973 Battle of the Sexes match (for which he had come out of retirement). Before his death in 1995 Riggs and King had become good friends.
Ivanovic begins title defenceBlic, SerbiaAna will have the support of her coach Craig Kardon, who has recently been praised by the legendary Billie Jean King. - “Craig is a wonderful man and a great expert and I believe he will be of great help to Ana,” said King.
Serena, Spring Break, SimpsonsTennis MagazineBy Sarah Thurmond While in New York for the Billie Jean King Cup last week, Serena Williams appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. A good moment from the episode: Fallon asking the world No. 1 if she’s ever been to Denny’s for a “Grand Slam
MSG, HBO Make Tennis Return Tonight With Billie Jean King Cup EventMultichannel News, NYThe exhibition, which begins at 7:30 pm (ET), pits four of the world's top female tennis players, 2009 Australian Open and 2008 US Open champion Serena Williams, 2008 Wimbledon champion Venus Williams, 2008 French Open champion Ana Ivanovic and 2008
Serena tops Venus to win Billie Jean King Cup exhibition Reuters UKSerena beats Venus to capture inaugural King Cup event AFPThe Associated Press - Multichannel Newsall 437 news articles
Billie Jean King CupVillage Voice, NYBY ALLEN BARRA If you're going to spring for one women's tennis event this year, the Billie Jean King Cup should be it—the first time for women's tennis at the Garden in nine years in honor of the 39-time Grand Slam Champion and all-around hero,
Billie Jean King targets gender unityReutersBy Larry Fine NEW YORK (Reuters) - Tennis pioneer Billie Jean King, who founded the Women's Tennis Association 35 years ago, says her real dream was to bring men's and women's players' unions together under one banner. "If people knew the history,
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