Billie Jean King
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Image:Billie Jean King by David Shankbone.jpg | ||
| Country | Image:Flag of the United States.svg United States | |
| Residence | ||
| Date of birth | November 22 1943 | |
| Place of birth | Long Beach, California | |
| Height | 5' 4 1/2" | |
| Weight | ||
| Turned Pro | 1968 | |
| Retired | 1983 | |
| Plays | Right | |
| Career Prize Money | US$1,966,487[1] | |
| Singles | ||
| Career record: | 695-155[2] | |
| Career titles: | 67 (open era only) | |
| Highest ranking: | 1 (1966, 1967, 1968, 1971, 1974)[3] | |
| Grand Slam results | ||
| Australian Open | W (1968) | |
| French Open | W (1972) | |
| Wimbledon | W (1966, 1967, 1968, 1972, 1973, 1975) | |
| U.S. Open | W (1967, 1971, 1972, 1974) | |
| Doubles | ||
| Career record: | 87-37[4] | |
| Career titles: | ||
| Highest ranking: | ||
Billie Jean King (née Moffitt) (born November 22, 1943, in Long Beach, California) is a retired tennis player from the United States. She won 12 Grand Slam singles titles, 16 Grand Slam women's doubles titles, and 11 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. She is generally considered to be one of the greatest female tennis players and female athletes in history. King has been an outspoken advocate against sexism in sports and society. The tennis match for which the public best remembers her is the "Battle of the Sexes" in 1973, in which she defeated Bobby Riggs, a former Wimbledon men's champion who had been one of the leading male players in the 1930s and 1940s.[5]
[edit] Personal life
Billie Jean King was born Billie Jean Moffitt. She was born into a conservative Methodist family, the daughter of a firefighter father[6] and housewife mother. Her younger brother Randy Moffitt grew up to become a professional baseball player, pitching for 12 years in the major leagues for the San Francisco Giants, Houston Astros, and Toronto Blue Jays.[7]
King attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School[8] where she was a member of Zayn Welfare Sorority.
She married Lawrence King in 1965. In 1971, she had an abortion. King said in an interview with 60 Minutes in 1972 that she and her husband were not ready to have children at that time because both were busy with their careers and could not devote time to children. They divorced in 1987.
In 1971, King began an intimate relationship with her secretary, Marilyn Barnett. King acknowledged the relationship when it became public in a lawsuit ten years later, becoming the first prominent American athlete to confirm having a gay relationship. King said that she decided to play on the tour in 1982 and 1983 solely because she needed money to pay the attorneys who defended her in that lawsuit and that she really did not want to play at age 38 and 39. Speaking about the lawsuit in 2007, 26 years after it was filed, King said, "It was very hard on me because I was outed and I think you have to do it in your own time. Fifty per cent of gay people know who they are by the age of 13, I was in the other 50%. I would never have married Larry if I’d known. I would never have done that to him. I was totally in love with Larry when I was 21.[9] Speaking about the personal cost of concealing her sexuality for so many years, King said,
- "I wanted to tell the truth but my parents were homophobic and I was in the closet. As well as that, I had people tell me that if I talked about what I was going through, it would be the end of the women's tour. I couldn't get a closet deep enough. I've got a homophobic family, a tour that will die if I come out, the world is homophobic and, yeah, I was homophobic. If you speak with gays, bisexuals, lesbians and transgenders, you will find a lot of homophobia because of the way we all grew up. One of my big goals was always to be honest with my parents and I couldn't be for a long time. I tried to bring up the subject but felt I couldn't. My mother would say, 'We’re not talking about things like that,' and I was pretty easily stopped because I was reluctant anyway. I ended up with an eating disorder that came from trying to numb myself from my feelings. I needed to surrender far sooner than I did. At the age of 51, I was finally able to talk about it properly with my parents and no longer did I have to measure my words with them. That was a turning point for me as it meant I didn’t have regrets any more."[10]
In 1999, King was elected to serve on the Board of Directors of Philip Morris Incorporated, garnering some criticism from anti-tobacco groups.[11] She no longer serves in that capacity.
King appeared on Law & Order, one of her favorite television shows, as a judge on April 27, 2007.
King currently resides in New York and Chicago[12] with partner Ilana Kloss.[13]
[edit] Tennis career
[edit] Playing style
King learned to play tennis on the public courts of Long Beach, California.[14] She was an aggressive, hard-hitting net-rusher,[15] with excellent speed and a highly competitive personality. King once said, "Victory is fleeting. Losing is forever."[16]
[edit] The early years: 1959 through 1965
In 1959, the 15 year old King had her Grand Slam debut at the U.S. Championships, losing to Justina Bricka in the first round 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 after having had a match point. In King's only other adult tournament of the year, the Pacific Southwest Championships, King lost to Ann Haydon Jones in the first round (9-7 in the third set).
In 1960, King won the Philadelphia and District Women's Grass Court Championships for her first adult tournament title, defeating Karen Hantze Susman in the quarterfinals. At the U.S. Championships, King was defeated by seventh seeded Bernice Carr Vukovich of South Africa 7-5, 6-4. King lost four significant matches to veteran players. In May, she lost to 44 year old Dorothy "Dodo" Cheney 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 in the quarterfinals of the Southern California Championships. Two months later, King lost to 35 year old Dorothy Head Knode 1-6, 6-0, 6-3 in the second round of the U.S. Women's Clay Court Championships. The next week, King was defeated by 42 year old Margaret Osborne duPont 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 in the semifinals of the Pennsylvania Lawn Tennis Championships. In King's last tournament of the year, she lost to Cheney 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Hard Court Championships. According to the United States Lawn Tennis Association (USLTA), King finished the year ranked fourth in the U.S., behind Darlene Hard, Susman, and Nancy Richey Gunter.[17]
King first gained international recognition in 1961 when, at age 17, she won the women's doubles title at Wimbledon in her first attempt while partnering Susman.[18] Although unseeded, King and Susman defeated the top seeded team of Renee Schuurman Haygarth and Sandra Reynolds Price in the quarterfinals and the third seeded team of Margaret Smith Court and Jan Lehane in the final. In singles at Wimbledon, Yola Ramirez Ochoa defeated King in the second round 11-9, 1-6, 6-2 after King had received a first round bye. Earlier in the year, King lost to Susman in the final of the Southern California Championships but successfully defended her title in Philadelphia and won the Pennsylvania Grass Courts Championships for the first time. At the Pacific Southwest Championships, King lost to Cheney (then 45 years old) for the third time in three career matches, this time in the second round 6-1, 3-6, 6-3. Playing in the Wightman Cup for the first time, King defeated Jones but lost to Christine Truman Janes. According to the USLTA, King finished the year ranked third in the U.S., behind Hard and Susman.[19]
In 1962, Susman defeated King in the final of the Southern California Championships for the second consecutive year. At Wimbledon, in only her second career singles match at that tournament, King upset Court, the World No. 1 and top seed, in a second round match after Court had led 5-2 and was serving at 5-3 (30-15) in the third set.[20] King eventually reached the quarterfinals, losing to Jones 6-3, 6-1. One month later, Court avenged her loss by beating King in the semifinals of both the Pennsylvania Grass Court Championships (6-4, 6-3) and the Eastern Grass Court Championships (6-3, 6-4). At the Wightman Cup, King and Susman lost their only match of the tie to the team of Jones and Janes. King ended her year by reaching the quarterfinals of the Pacific Southwest Championships, losing to Haygarth 1-6, 8-6, 6-1. According to the USLTA, King finished the year ranked third in the U.S., behind Hard and Susman.[21]
In 1963, King won the Southern California Championships for the first time, defeating Hard in the final. At Wimbledon, King upset Maria Bueno in the quarterfinals 6-2, 7-5 before losing to Jones in the semifinals 6-4, 6-4. The following week, King won her first international title at the Irish Championships. In Wightman Cup competition, King defeated Janes 6-4, 19-17 and Jones. At the year ending Pacific Southwest Championships, King defeated Jones and Bueno before losing to Hard in the final. According to Lance Tingay of the London Daily Telegraph, King finished the year ranked fourth in the world, behind Court, Lesley Turner Bowrey, and Bueno.[22] According to the USLTA, King finished the year ranked second in the U.S., behind Hard.[23]
In 1964, King won four relatively minor titles but lost to Court in the Wimbledon semifinals 6-3, 6-4. King defeated Jones at both the Wightman Cup and Federation Cup but lost to Court in the final of the Federation Cup 6-2, 6-3. At the U.S. Championships, Gunter defeated King in the quarterfinals 6-4, 6-4. Late in the year, King decided to make a full-time commitment to tennis. She said,
- "I was in my third year as a history major at Los Angeles State College.... I still had my dream of being Number 1 in tennis, but I had yet to win a major singles title. I finally realized that I would never know whether I could make it unless I made a commitment to play full-time. I was able to make that commitment when Robert Mitchell, the same businessman who had helped Margaret Smith [Court], offered to pay my way to Australia so that I could train under the great Australian coach Mervyn Rose. I told my friends I was going to Australia to become the best player in the world. It was a frightening admission, but it helped to drive me. Merv Rose was exactly what I needed. He made radical alterations in my game, changing my swooping, wristy forehand and backhand into the crisp efficient strokes of a champion."[24]
While in Australia, King played three tournaments to end the year, losing in the quarterfinals of the Queensland Grass Court Championships, the final of the New South Wales Championships (to Court), and the third round of the Victorian Championships. According to Lance Tingay of the Daily Telegraph, King finished the year ranked seventh in the world.[25] According to the USLTA, King finished the year ranked second in the U.S., behind Gunter.[26]
In early 1965, King continued her tour of Australia. She lost in the final of the South Australian Championships and the first round of the Western Australia Championships. At the Federation Cup in Melbourne, King defeated Jones to help the United States defeat the United Kingdom in the second round. However, Court again defeated King in the final. At the Australian Championships two weeks later, King lost to Court in the semifinals 6-1, 8-6. At Wimbledon, King lost in the semifinals for the third consecutive year, this time to Bueno 6-4, 5-7, 6-3. King's last tournament of the year was the U.S. Championships, where she defeated Jones in the quarterfinals (16-14, 6-2) and Bueno in the semifinals. In the final, King led 5-3 in both sets before losing to Court 8-6, 7-5. King said that losing while being so close to winning was devastating, but the match proved to her that she was "good enough to be the best in the world. I'm going to win Wimbledon next year."[27] King won six tournaments during the year. According to Lance Tingay of the Daily Telegraph, King finished the year ranked fourth in the world, behind Court, Bueno, and Bowrey.[28] According to the USLTA, King and Gunter finished the year tied for first in the U.S.[29]
[edit] Prime competitive years: 1966 through 1975
In 1966, King ended her nine match losing streak to Margaret Smith Court by defeating her in the final of the RSA South African Championships. At the Wightman Cup just before Wimbledon, King defeated Virginia Wade and Ann Haydon Jones. After thirteen unsuccessful attempts to win a Grand Slam singles title from 1959 through 1965, King at the age of 22 finally won the first of her six singles titles at Wimbledon and the first of twelve Grand Slam singles titles overall, defeating Court in the semifinals 6-3, 6-3 and Maria Bueno in the final. King credited her semifinal victory to her forehand down the line, a new shot in her repertoire.[30] At the U.S. Championships, an ill King was upset by Kerry Melville Reid in the second round.[31] According to Lance Tingay of the London Daily Telegraph, King finished the year ranked first in the world.[32] According to the United States Lawn Tennis Association (USLTA), King finished the year ranked first in the U.S.[33]
King successfully defended her title at the RSA South African Championships in 1967, defeating Bueno in the final. She played the French Championships for the first time in her career,[34] falling in the quarterfinals to Annette Van Zyl DuPlooy of South Africa. At the Federation Cup one week later in West Germany on clay, King won all four of her matches, including victories over DuPlooy, Jones, and Helga Niessen Masthoff. King then successfully switched surfaces and won her second consecutive Wimbledon singles title, defeating Wade in the quarterfinals 7-5, 6-2 and Jones in the final. At the Wightman Cup, King again defeated Wade and Jones. King won her second Grand Slam singles title of the year when she won the U.S. Championships for the first time and without losing a set, defeating Wade, DuPlooy, Francoise Durr, and Jones in consecutive matches. King won the singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles titles at both Wimbledon and the U.S. Championships, the first woman to do that since Alice Marble in 1939.[35] According to Lance Tingay of the London Daily Telegraph, King finished the year ranked first in the world.[36] According to the USLTA, King finished the year ranked first in the U.S.[37]
King returned to the Australian summer tour in January 1968 for the first time since 1965. King won the Western Australia Championships, defeating Court in the final. King then won the Tasmanian Championships and finished the tour by winning the Australian Championships for the first time, defeating Judy Tegart Dalton in the semifinals and Court in the final. King continued to win tournaments upon her return to the United States, winning three indoor tournaments before Nancy Richey Gunter defeated King in the semifinals of the Madison Square Garden Challenge Trophy tournament in New York City before 10,233 spectators.[38] The match started with Gunter taking a 4-2 lead in the first set, before King won 9 of the next 10 games. King served for the match at 5-1 and had a match point at 5-3 in the second set; however, she lost the final 12 games and the match 4-6, 7-5, 6-0.[39] King then won three consecutive tournaments in Europe before losing to Jones in the final of another tournament at Madison Square Garden. Playing the French Open for only the second time in her career and attempting to win four consecutive Grand Slam singles titles (a "non-calendar year Grand Slam"), King defeated Bueno in a quarterfinal before losing to Gunter in a semifinal 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. King rebounded to win her third consecutive Wimbledon singles title, defeating Jones in the semifinals and Dalton in the final. At the U.S. Open, King defeated Bueno in a semifinal before being upset in the final by Wade. She then had surgery on her left knee, causing her to miss almost three months of the tour. King returned to Australia in December to participate in a Federation Cup tie against Australia. King won both of her singles matches over Reid and Dalton. According to Bud Collins, King finished the year ranked first in the world.[40] The USLTA did not include King in its year end rankings because she was a contract professional.[41] [42]
King remained in Australia after the Federation Cup to participate in the 1969 Australian summer tour for the second consecutive year. Unlike the previous year, King did not win a tournament. She lost in the quarterfinals of the Tasmanian Championships and the semifinals of the New South Wales Championships. At the Australian Open, King defeated 17 year old Evonne Goolagong Cawley in the second round 6-3, 6-1 and Jones in a three-set semifinal before losing to Court easily in the final. The following week, King lost in the semifinals of the New Zealand Championships. Upon her return to the United States, King won the Pacific Coast Pro and the Los Angeles Pro. King then won two tournaments in South Africa, including the South African Open. In the European summer clay court season, King lost in the quarterfinals of the Italian Open and the semifinals of the French Open. On grass at the Wills Open in Bristol, United Kingdom, King defeated Wade in the semifinals (6-8, 11-9, 6-2) before losing to Court. At Wimbledon, Jones upset King in the final and prevented King from winning her fourth consecutive singles title there. The week after, King again defeated Wade to win the Irish Open for the second time in her career. In the final Grand Slam tournament of the year, King lost in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open to Gunter 6-4, 8-6. This was the first year since 1965 that King did not win at least one Grand Slam singles title. King finished the year with titles at the Pacific Southwest Open in Los Angeles, the Stockholm Indoors, and the Midland (Texas) Pro. According to Bud Collins, King finished the year ranked third in the world, behind Court and Jones.[43] The USLTA did not include King in its year end rankings because she was a contract professional.[44] [45]
In 1970, Court won all four Grand Slam tournaments and was clearly the World No. 1. King lost to Court three times in the first four months of the year, in Philadelphia, Dallas, and Johannesburg at the South African Open. Court, however, was not totally dominant during this period as King defeated her in Sydney and Durban, South Africa. Where Court dominated was at the Grand Slam tournaments. King did not play the Australian Open. At the French Open, King lost to Masthoff of West Germany in the quarterfinals 2-6, 8-6, 6-1. At Wimbledon, Court defeated King in the final 14-12, 11-9 in one of the greatest women's finals in the history of the tournament. Three days after the tournament,[46] King had right knee surgery, which forced her to miss the U.S. Open. King returned to the tour in September, where she had a first round loss in Houston and a semifinal loss at the Pacific Coast Championships in Berkely, California. To close out the year, King in November won the Virginia Slims of Richmond and the Wembly Embassy Open. In other tournaments, King won the Cape Town Professional Championships in April and the titles in Oakland, Portland, and Seattle. During the European clay court season, King warmed-up for the French Open by playing in Monte Carlo (losing in the semifinals), winning the Italian Open, playing in Bournemouth (losing to Wade in the quarterfinals), and playing in Berlin (losing to Masthoff in the semifinals). The Italian Open victory was the first important clay court title of King's career. Along the way, she defeated Masthoff in a three-set quarterfinal and Wade in a three-set semifinal, saving two match points at 4-5 in the second set. The twelfth game of that set (with King leading 6-5) had 21 deuces and lasted 22 minutes, with Wade saving seven set points and holding sixteen game points before King won. In Wightman Cup competition two weeks before Wimbledon but played at the All England Club, King defeated both Wade and Jones in straight sets. According to Bud Collins, King finished the year ranked second in the world, behind Court.[47] According to the USLTA, King finished the year ranked first in the U.S.[48]
Although King won only one Grand Slam singles title in 1971, this was the best year of her career in terms of tournaments won (17). According to the International Tennis Hall of Fame, she played in 31 singles tournaments and compiled a 112-13 win-loss record.[49] She started the year by winning eight of the first thirteen tournaments she played, defeating Casals in seven finals. King's five losses during this period were to Durr (twice), Casals (once), Jones (once), and Chris Evert (in St. Petersburg). At the tournament in Hurlingham, United Kingdom in early May, King lost a second round match to an old rival, Christine Truman Janes (now 30 years old), 6-4, 6-2. But King recovered the next week to win the German Open in Hamburg on clay. Four weeks later at the Queen's Club tournament in London, King played Court for the first time in 1971, losing their final. At Wimbledon, King defeated Janes in the fourth round (6-2, 7-5) and Durr in the quarterfinals before losing unexpectedly to Goolagong Cawley in the semifinals 6-4, 6-4. Two weeks after Wimbledon, King won the grass court tournament in Hoylake, United Kingdom, beating Wade, Court, and Casals in the last three rounds. She then played two clay court tournaments in Europe, winning neither, before resuming play in the United States. Staying on clay, King won the Houston tournament and the U.S. Women's Clay Court Championships in Indianapolis. King then switched back to grass and won the U.S. Open without losing a set, defeating Evert in the semifinals (6-3, 6-2) and Casals in the final. To complete the year, King won the tournaments in Louisville, Phoenix, and London (Wembly Pro) before traveling to New Zealand. She did not win either of the tournaments there, losing in Christchurch to Durr and in Auckland to Reid. According to Bud Collins, King finished the year ranked first in the world.[50] According to the USLTA, King finished the year ranked first in the U.S.[51]
King won three Grand Slam singles titles in 1972, electing not to play the Australian Open despite being nearby when she played in New Zealand in late-1971. The year did not start well for King as she did not win six of the first eight tournaments she played. She won in San Francisco in mid-January. But then King lost in Long Beach to Durr and in Fort Lauderdale on clay to Evert 6-1, 6-0. The inconsistent results continued through mid-April, in Oklahoma City (losing in the quarterfinals); Washington, D.C. (losing in the second round); and Dallas (losing to Gunter after defeating Evert and Goolagong Cawley in hard-fought quarterfinal and semifinal matches). King won in Richmond; however, one week later, King lost in the semifinals of the tournament in San Juan. This was followed in successive weeks by a loss in the Jacksonville final to Marie Neumannova Pinterova and in a St. Petersburg semifinal to Evert (6-2, 6-3). King did not lose again until mid-August, winning six consecutive tournaments. She won the tournaments in Tucson and Indianapolis. Without losing a set, King then won the French Open to complete a career Grand Slam. She defeated Wade in the quarterfinals, Masthoff in the semifinals, and Goolagong Cawley in the final.[52] On grass, King then won the Wimbledon warm-up tournaments in Nottingham and Bristol and won Wimbledon itself for the fourth time. She lost only one set during the tournament, to Wade in the quarterfinals. That was followed by straight set wins over Casals and Goolagong Cawley. When the tour returned to the United States, King did not win any of the three tournaments she played before the U.S. Open, including a straight sets loss to Court in Newport. Those losses apparently did not have a negative effect on her play at the U.S. Open, as King won the tournament without losing a set, including a quarterfinal win over Wade, a semifinal defeat of Court, and a final win over Reid. King finished the year by winning the tournaments in Charlotte and Phoenix (defeating Court in the final of both), a runner-up finish in Oakland (losing to Court), and a semifinal finish in Boca Raton (losing to Evert). According to Bud Collins, King finished the year ranked first in the world.[53] According to the USLTA, King finished the year ranked first in the U.S.[54]
1973 was Court's turn to win three Grand Slam singles titles, failing to win only Wimbledon, and clearly was the World No. 1 for the year. As during the previous year, King started 1973 inconsistently. She lost in the third round at the Virginia Slims of Miami tournament but won the Virginia Slims of Indianapolis tournament, defeating Court in the semifinals 6-7, 7-6, 6-3 and Casals in the final. This victory was followed by five tournaments that King failed to win (Detroit, Boston, Chicago, Jacksonville, and the inaugural Family Circle Cup in Hilton Head, South Carolina). King lost to Court in two of those tournaments. After deciding not to defend her French Open singles title, King won four consecutive tournaments, including her fifth Wimbledon singles title when she defeated Reid in the quarterfinals, Goolagong Cawley in the semifinals, and Evert in the final. In none of those tournaments, however, did King play Court. They resumed their rivalry in the final of the Virginia Slims of Nashville tournament, where Court won for the third time in four matches against King in 1973. (This was the last ever singles match between those players, with Court winning 21 and King 13 of their 34 matches.) Three weeks later at the U.S. Open, King retired from her fourth round match with Julie Heldman while ill[55] and suffering from the oppressive heat and humidity. When Heldman complained to the match umpire that King was taking too long between games, King reportedly said to Heldman, "If you want the match that badly, you can have it!"[56] The Battle of the Sexes match against Bobby Riggs was held in the middle of the Virginia Slims of Houston tournament. King won her quarterfinal match the day before playing Riggs, defeated Riggs, and then lost the next day to Casals in the semifinals 7-6, 6-1 because, according to King, "I had nothing left to give."[57] To end the year, King won tournaments in Phoenix, Hawaii, and Tokyo and was the runner-up in Baltimore. According to Bud Collins, King finished the year ranked second in the world, behind Court.[58] The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) computer agreed with Collins.[59] According to the USLTA, King finished the year ranked first in the U.S.[60]
King won five of the first seven tournaments she contested in 1974. She won the Virginia Slims of San Francisco, defeating Gunter in the semifinals and Evert in the final. The following week in Indian Wells, California, King again defeated Gunter in the semifinals but lost to Evert in the final. King then won tournaments in Washington, D.C. and Detroit before losing a semifinal match to Wade in Chicago. King won both tournaments she played in March, defeating Gunter in the Akron, Ohio final and Evert at the U.S. Indoors final. Olga Morozova then upset King in her next two tournaments, at Philadelphia in the final and at Wimbledon in a quarterfinal 7-5, 6-2. Afterword, King did not play a match until the U.S. Open, where she won her fourth singles title and third in the last four years. She defeated Casals in a straight sets quarterfinal, avenged in the semifinals her previous year's loss to Heldman, and narrowly defeated Goolagong Cawley in the final. King did not reach a tournament final during the remainder of the year, losing to Heldman in an Orlando semifinal, Wade in a Phoenix semifinal, and Goolagong Cawley in a Los Angeles semifinal. According to Bud Collins, King finished the year ranked first in the world.[61] The WTA computer agreed with Collins.[62] According to the USLTA, King finished the year ranked second in the U.S., behind Evert.[63]
In 1975, King played singles only half the year, as she retired temporarily from tournament singles competition immediately after winning her sixth Wimbledon singles title. She began the year by winning the San Francisco tournament for the second consecutive year, defeating Durr, Wade, and Evert in successive matches. The following week, King won the Sarasota, Florida tournament, again defeating Evert in the final. Two months later, Wade defeated King in the semifinals of the Philadelphia tournament. At the Austin, Texas tournament in April, King defeated Goolagong Cawley 6-1, 6-3 before losing to Evert in the final. King played only one of the Wimbledon warm-up tournaments, defeating Morozova in the Eastbourne, United Kingdom semifinals before losing to Wade in the final. Seeded third at Wimbledon, King defeated seventh seeded Morozova in the quarterfinals (6-3, 6-3), top seeded Evert in the semifinals after being down 3-0 in the final set (2-6, 6-2, 6-3), and fourth seeded Goolagong Cawley in the second most lopsided women's final ever at Wimbledon (6-0, 6-1). This was King's 12th and final Grand Slam singles title. According to Bud Collins, King finished the year ranked second in the world, behind Evert.[64] The WTA computer agreed with Collins.[65] King was not included in the USLTA's top ten end-of-year rankings.[66]
[edit] The Battle of the Sexes (1973)
Despite King's achievements at the world's biggest tennis tournaments, the U.S. public best remembers King for her win over Bobby Riggs in 1973.
Riggs had been a top men's player in the 1930s and 1940s in both the amateur and professional ranks. He won the Wimbledon men's singles title in 1939, and was ranked the World No. 1 male tennis player for 1941, 1946, and 1947. He then became a self-described tennis "hustler" who played in promotional challenge matches. In 1973, he took on the role of male chauvinist. Claiming that the women's game was so inferior to the men's game that even a 55-year-old like himself could beat the current top female players, he challenged and defeated Margaret Smith Court 6-2, 6-1. King, who previously had rejected challenges from Riggs, then accepted a lucrative financial offer to play him.
Dubbed the Battle of the Sexes, the Riggs-King match was played at the Houston Astrodome in Texas on September 20, 1973. The match garnered huge publicity. In front of 30,492 spectators and a worldwide television audience estimated at 50 million people in 37 countries, King beat Riggs 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. The match is considered a very significant event in developing greater recognition and respect for women's tennis. King said, "I thought it would set us back 50 years if I didn't win that match. It would ruin the women's [tennis] tour and affect all women's self-esteem."[67]
In recent years, a persistent urban legend has arisen, particularly on the Internet, that the rules of tennis were modified for the match so that Riggs had only one serve for King's two and that King was allowed to hit into the doubles court area. This is untrue because the match was played under the normal rules of tennis.
[edit] The later years: 1976 through 1990
King retired from competitive play in singles at the end of 1983. She reached the semifinals in her final appearance at Wimbledon, losing to Andrea Jaeger 6-1, 6-1 after beating Kathy Jordan 7-5, 6-4 in the quarterfinals, Wendy Turnbull 7-5, 6-3 in the fourth round, and Rosemary Casals, her longtime doubles partner, 6-3, 6-4 in the third round. The final singles match of her career was a second round 7-6, 4-6, 6-4 loss to Catherine Tanvier at the 1983 Australian Open.
King played doubles sporadically from 1984 through 1990. She retired from competitive play in doubles in March 1990. In her last competitive doubles match, King and her partner, Jennifer Capriati, lost a second round match to Brenda Schultz-McCarthy and Andrea Temesvari 6-3, 6-2 at the Virginia Slims of Florida tournament.
[edit] Furthering the tennis profession
Before the start of the open era in 1968, King earned US$100 a week as a playground instructor and student at Los Angeles State College when not playing in major tennis tournaments.
In 1967, King criticized the United States Lawn Tennis Association (USLTA) in a series of press conferences, denouncing what she called the USLTA's practice of "shamateurism," where top players were paid under the table to guarantee their entry into tournaments. King argued that this was corrupt and kept the game highly elitist. King quickly became a significant force in the opening of tennis to professionalism.
When the open era began, King campaigned for equal prize money in the men's and women's games. As the financial backing of the women's game improved due to the efforts of World Tennis magazine founder, publisher and editor Gladys M. Heldman, King became the first woman athlete to earn over US$100,000 in prize money in 1971; however, inequalities continued. In 1972, King won the U.S. Open but received US$15,000 less than the men's champion Ilie Năstase. She stated that if the prize money was not equal by the following year, she would not play. In 1973, the U.S. Open became the first major tournament to offer equal prize money for men and women.
King led player efforts to support the first professional women's tennis tour in the 1970s called the Virginia Slims, founded by Gladys Heldman and funded by Joseph Cullman of Philip Morris. Once the tour took flight, King worked tirelessly to promote it.
In 1973, King became the first president of the women's players union – the Women's Tennis Association. In 1974, she, with husband Larry King and Jim Jorgensen, founded womenSports magazine and started the Women's Sports Foundation. Also in 1974, King helped to found World TeamTennis. She became league commissioner in 1982.
King is a founding member on the Board of Honorary Trustees for the Sports Museum of America, which is expected to open in early 2008 and will be home to the Women's Sports Foundation Hall of Fame.
[edit] Coach of national teams
In the mid-1990s, King became the captain of the United States Fed Cup team and coach of its women's Olympic tennis squad. She guided the U.S. to the Fed Cup championship in 1996 and helped Lindsay Davenport, Gigi Fernandez, and Mary Joe Fernandez capture Olympic gold medals.
In 2002, King dismissed Capriati from the Fed Cup team, saying Capriati had violated rules that forbade bringing along and practicing with personal coaches. Opinion was sharply divided, with many supporting King's decision but many feeling the punishment was too harsh, especially in hindsight when Monica Seles and Lisa Raymond were defeated by lower-ranked Austrians Barbara Schett and Barbara Schwartz. The following year, Zina Garrison Jackson succeeded King as Fed Cup captain.
[edit] Career statistics
[edit] Year end rankings
According to the end-of-year rankings compiled by Lance Tingay of the London Daily Telegraph from 1914 through 1967, King was ranked first in the world twice: 1966 and 1967.[68] According to the end-of-year rankings compiled by Bud Collins beginning in 1968, King was ranked first in the world four times: 1968, 1971, 1972, and 1974.[69] According to the Women's Tennis Association end-of-year computer rankings, which began in 1973, King was ranked first in the world in 1974.[70]
[edit] Grand Slam singles tournaments
King's triumph at the French Open in 1972 made her only the fifth woman in tennis history to win the singles titles at all four Grand Slam events, a "career Grand Slam." (Four additional women have completed a career Grand Slam since King.) King also won a career Grand Slam in mixed doubles. In women's doubles, only the Australian Open eluded her.
King won a record 20 career titles at Wimbledon – 6 singles, 10 women's doubles, and 4 mixed doubles. (Martina Navratilova also has 20 career titles at Wimbledon.)
King played 51 Grand Slam singles events from 1959 through 1983 (197-39 .835 win-loss record): 21 at Wimbledon (96-15 win-loss record), 18 at the U.S. Championships/Open (63-14 win-loss record), 7 at the French Championships/Open (22-6 win-loss record), and 5 at the Australian Championships/Open (16-4 win-loss record). King reached at least the semifinals in 27 and at least the quarterfinals in 40 out of her 51 attempts.
King won 12 Grand Slam singles titles: 6 at Wimbledon, 4 at the U.S. Championships/Open, 1 at the French Open, and 1 at the Australian Championships. She won the last 7 Grand Slam singles finals in which she played, 6 of them in straight sets. Four of those finals were against Evonne Goolagong Cawley. All but one of King's Grand Slam singles titles were on grass.
King was the runner-up in 6 Grand Slam singles events.
From 1966 through 1975, King played in 25 Grand Slam singles tournaments, winning 12. She was the runner-up in 4 of those tournaments, a losing semifinalist in 2 of them, and a losing quarterfinalist in 5 of them. From 1971 through 1975, King won 7 of the 10 Grand Slam singles tournaments she played.
King won three consecutive Grand Slam singles tournaments in 1967 and 1968 (1967 Wimbledon and U.S. Championships and 1968 Australian Championships). Nancy Richey Gunter ended King's bid to complete a non-calendar year Grand Slam at the 1968 French Open, defeating King in the semifinals 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.
King won three of four Grand Slam singles tournaments in 1972, not playing the Australian Open.
An indicator of King's mental toughness at crunch time in Grand Slam singles tournaments was her 11-2 career record in deuce third sets, i.e., third sets that were tied 5-5 before being resolved.
[edit] Singles titles and career prize money
King won 132 singles titles, and her career prize money totalled US$1,966,487.[71]
[edit] Federation Cup
King helped the United States win the Federation Cup seven times.
[edit] Awards, honors, and tributes
Margaret Smith Court, who won more Grand Slam titles than anyone, has said that King was “the greatest competitor I’ve ever known.”[72]
In 1972, King became the first tennis player to be named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year. She was also the first female athlete ever to receive that honor.
Friends with singer Elton John, the 1975 song "Philadelphia Freedom" is a tribute to King.[73] On a PBS program, John talked about how he brought a demo copy of the record to play for her right after he had recorded it.
In 1975, Seventeen magazine found that King was the most admired woman in the world from a poll of its readers. Golda Meir, who had been Israel's prime minister until the previous year, finished second.
King was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1987.
Life magazine in 1990 named her one of the "100 Most Important Americans of the 20th Century."[74]
King was the recipient of the 1999 Arthur Ashe Courage Award.
In 2000, King received an award from the GLAAD, an organization devoted to reducing discrimination against gays, lesbians and bisexuals, for "furthering the visibility and inclusion of the community in her work." The award noted her involvement in production and the free distribution of educational films, as well as serving on the boards of several AIDS charities.[75]
On August 28, 2006, the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park was rededicated as the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.[76] John McEnroe, Venus Williams, Jimmy Connors, and Chris Evert were among the speakers during the rededication ceremony. The center is the largest sports facility in the world to be named after a woman.
On December 6, 2006, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife Maria Shriver inducted King into the California Hall of Fame located at The California Museum for History, Women, and the Arts.
On November 20, 2007, King was presented with the 2007 Sunday Times Sports Women of the Year Lifetime Achievement award for her contribution to sport both on and off the court.[77]
Charles M. Schulz, creator of the Peanuts comic strip, was another of King's admirers and close friends. Schulz referenced King several times in Peanuts over the years. In one strip, Peppermint Patty tells Marcie, "Has anyone ever told you that when you're mad, you look just like Billie Jean King?"
[edit] Grand Slam finals
[edit] Singles
[edit] Wins (12)
[edit] Runner-ups (6)
| Year | Championship | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 1963 | Wimbledon | Image:Flag of Australia.svg Margaret Smith Court | 6-3, 6-4 |
| 1965 | U.S. Championships | Image:Flag of Australia.svg Margaret Smith Court | 8-6, 7-5 |
| 1968 | U.S. Open | Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Virginia Wade | 6-4, 6-2 |
| 1969 | Australian Open | Image:Flag of Australia.svg Margaret Smith Court | 6-4, 6-1 |
| 1969 | Wimbledon | Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ann Haydon Jones | 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 |
| 1970 | Wimbledon | Image:Flag of Australia.svg Margaret Smith Court | 14-12, 11-9 |
[edit] Women's doubles
[edit] Wins (16)
[edit] Runner-ups (13)
[edit] Mixed doubles
[edit] Wins (11)
[edit] Runner-ups (7)
[edit] Career finals
[edit] Singles (184)
[edit] Wins (132)
| No. | Week of | Tournament Name and Location | Surface | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 1. | August 7, 1960 | Philadelphia and District Women's Grass Court Championships, Pennsylvania, U.S. | Grass | Carole Caldwell Graebner | 6-1, 6-0 |
| 2. | July 24, 1961 | Pennsylvania Grass Courts Championships, Merion, U.S. | Grass | Justina Bricka | 6-3, 6-4 |
| 3. | July 31, 1961 | Middle States Women's Grass Courts Championships, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. (2) | Grass | Edda Buding | 6-3, 6-4 |
| 4. | April 3, 1962 | Pasadena, California, U.S. | Hard | Carole Caldwell Graebner (2) | 6-3, 3-6, 9-7 |
| 5. | April 3, 1963 | Pasadena, California, U.S. (2) | Hard | Patricia Cody | Unknown |
| 6. | May 6, 1963 | Southern California Championships, Los Angeles, U.S. | Hard | Darlene Hard | 6-4, 6-3 |
| 7. | July 8, 1963 | Irish Championships, Dublin | Grass | Carole Caldwell Graebner (3) | 6-4, 6-3 |
| 8. | February 17, 1964 | Arizona Intercollegiates, Tucson, U.S. | Hard | Vicky Palmer | 2-6, 6-1, 6-0 |
| 9. | April 20, 1964 | Ojai Intercollegiates, California, U.S. | Hard | Julie Heldman | Unknown |
| 10. | July 27, 1964 | Eastern Grass Court Championships, South Orange, New Jersey, U.S. | Grass | Nancy Richey Gunter | 7-5, 3-6, 8-6 |
| 11. | August 10, 1964 | Essex County Club Invitational, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts, U.S. | Grass | Karen Hantze Susman | 6-4, 4-6, 11-9 |
| 12. | April 19, 1965 | Ojai, California, U.S. | Hard | Kathleen Harter | 6-4, 6-2 |
| 13. | May 3, 1965 | Southern California Championships, Los Angeles, U.S. (2) | Hard | Kathleen Harter (2) | 6-3, 6-1 |
| 14. | May 17, 1965 | California State Championships, Portola Valley, U.S. | Hard | Rosemary Casals | 6-2, 8-6 |
| 15. | July 19, 1965 | Pennsylvania Grass Courts Championships, Merion, U.S. (2) | Grass | Carole Caldwell Graebner (4) | 6-1, 6-2 |
| 16. | July 26, 1965 | Eastern Grass Court Championships, South Orange, New Jersey, U.S. (2) | Grass | Jane Albert | 7-5, 6-3 |
| 17. | August 15, 1965 | Essex County Club Invitational, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts, U.S. (2) | Grass | Virginia Wade | 6-4, 6-2 |
| 18. | February 14, 1966 | U.S. Indoor Championships, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, U.S. | Indoor | Mary Ann Eisel | 6-0, 6-2 |
| 19. | March 14, 1966 | Thunderbird Classic, Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. | Hard | Mary Ann Eisel (2) | 6-3, 6-2 |
| 20. | March 28, 1966 | RSA South African Championships, Johannesburg1 | Hard | Margaret Smith Court | 6-3, 6-2 |
| 21. | April 18 or 25, 1966 | Ojai, California, U.S. (2) | Hard | Rosemary Casals (2) | 6-2, 6-4 |
| 22. | May 2, 1966 | Southern California Championships, Los Angeles, U.S. (3) | Hard | Tory Ann Fretz | 6-3, 10-8 |
| 23. | May 16, 1966 | U.S. Hard Court Championships, La Jolla, California, U.S. | Hard | Patti Hogan | 7-5, 6-0 |
| 24. | May 23, 1966 | Tulsa Tennis Club Invitational, Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S. | Clay | Carol Hanks Aucamp | 6-0, 6-1 |
| 25. | May 30, 1966 | Manchester Northern, United Kingdom | Grass | Winnie Shaw | 6-2, 6-1 |
| 26. | June 20, 1966 | Wimbledon, London | Grass | Maria Bueno | 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 |
| 27. | August 8, 1966 | Piping Rock Invitational, Locust Valley, New York, U.S. | Grass | Karen Krantzcke | 6-2, 6-0 |
| 28. | February 13, 1967 | U.S. Indoor Championships, Winchester, Massachusetts, U.S. (2) | Indoor | Trudy Groenman Walhof | 6-1, 6-0 |
| 29. | February 27, 1967 | Pacific Coast Indoor, San Rafael, California, U.S. | Indoor | Patti Hogan (2) | 10-8, 7-5 |
| 30. | March 20, 1967 | RSA South African Championships, Johannesburg (2) | Hard | Maria Bueno (2) | 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 |
| 31. | May 1, 1967 | California State Championships, Portola Valley, U.S. (2) | Hard | Rosemary Casals (3) | 6-1, 6-3 |
| 32. | May 8, 1967 | Charlotte Invitational, Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. | Clay | Peaches Bartkowicz | 6-1, 6-2 |
| 33. | June 26, 1967 | Wimbledon, London (2) | Grass | Ann Haydon Jones | 6-3, 6-4 |
| 34. | July 31, 1967 | Eastern Grass Court Championships, South Orange, New Jersey, U.S. (3) | Grass | Kathleen Harter (3) | 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 |
| 35. | August 14, 1967 | Essex County Club Invitational, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Massachusetts, U.S. (3) | Grass | Kerry Melville Reid | 8-6, 6-1 |
| 36. | August 28, 1967 | U.S. Championships, New York City | Grass | Ann Haydon Jones (2) | 11-9, 6-4 |
| 37. | September 18, 1967 | Pacific Southwest Championships, Los Angeles, U.S. | Hard | Rosemary Casals (4) | 6-0, 6-4 |
| 38. | October 30, 1967 | South American and Argentine Championships, Buenos Aires, Argentina | Clay | Rosemary Casals (5) | 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 |
| 39. | November 27, 1967 | Victorian Championships, Melbourne, Australia | Grass | Lesley Turner Bowrey | 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 |
| 40. | January 1, 1968 | Western Australia Championships, Perth, Australia | Grass | Margaret Smith Court (2) | 6-2, 6-4 |
| 41. | January 8, 1968 | Tasmanian Championships, Hobart, Australia | Grass | Judy Tegart Dalton | 6-2, 6-4 |
| 42. | January 15, 1968 | Australian Championships, Melbourne, Australia | Grass | Lesley Turner Bowrey (2) | 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 |
| 43. | February 12, 1968 | New England Women's Indoors, Salem, Massachusetts, U.S. | Indoor | Mary Ann Eisel (3) | 6-3, 6-4 |
| 44. | February 19, 1968 | U.S. Indoor Championships, Winchester, Massachusetts, U.S. (3) | Indoor | Rosemary Casals (6) | 6-3, 9-7 |
| 45. | February 26, 1968 | Long Island Indoor, Brookville, New York, U.S. | Indoor | Rosemary Casals (7) or Mary Ann Eisel (4) | ??? |
| 46. | April 8, 1968 | National Tennis League, Cannes, France | ??? | Rosemary Casals (8) | 10-6 |
| 47. | April 15, 1968 | National Tennis League, Paris | ??? | Ann Haydon Jones (3) | 9-7, 6-4 |
| 48. | April 29, 1968 | National Tennis League, Wembley Pro, London | Indoor | Ann Haydon Jones (4) | 4-6, 9-7, 7-5 |
| 49. | June 24, 1968 | Wimbledon, London (3) | Grass | Judy Tegart Dalton (2) | 9-7, 7-5 |
| 50. | July 15, 1968 | National Tennis League, Los Angeles, U.S. | ??? | Ann Haydon Jones (5) | 12-10, 6-3 |
| 51. | August 5, 1968 | National Tennis League, Masters, Binghampton, New York, U.S. | ??? | Rosemary Casals (9) | 10-8, 6-4 |
| 52. | February 24, 1969 | National Tennis League, Pacific Coast Hayward, California, U.S. | Indoor | Ann Haydon Jones (6) | 6-3, 6-2 |
| 53. | February 28, 1969 (played) | National Tennis League, Portland [Oregon] One Night Stand, U.S. | Indoor | Ann Haydon Jones (7) | 6-3, 6-3 |
| 54. | March 3, 1969 | National Tennis League, Los Angeles, U.S. (2) | Indoor ? | Ann Haydon Jones (8) | 17-15,2 6-3 |
| 55. | March 30, 1969 | South African Championships, Johannesburg (3) | Hard | Nancy Richey Gunter (2) | 6-3, 6-4 |
| 56. | April 14, 1969 | Durban Natal Open, South Africa | Hard | Annette Van Zyl DuPlooy | 6-4, 6-1 |
| 57. | July 7, 1969 | Irish Open, Dublin (2) | Grass | Virginia Wade (2) | 6-2, 6-2 |
| 58. | August 4, 1969 | National Tennis League, Saint Louis, Missouri, U.S. | Indoor ? | Rosemary Casals (10) | 6-4, 6-2 |
| 59. | August 4, 1969 | National Tennis League, Masters, Binghampton, New York, U.S. (2) | ??? | Ann Haydon Jones (9) | 10-8, 3-6, 6-4 |
| 60. | September 22, 1969 | Pacific Southwest Championships, Los Angeles, U.S. (2) | Hard | Ann Haydon Jones (10) | 6-2, 6-3 |
| 61. | September 29, 1969 | National Tennis League, Midland, Texas, U.S. | ??? | Rosemary Casals (11) | 6-3, 6-3 |
| 62. | November 24, 1969 | Scandinavian Open Indoors, Stockholm, Sweden | Indoor | Julie Heldman (2) | 9-7, 6-2 |
| 63. | March 16, 1970 | Dunlop New South Wales Open, Sydney, Australia | Grass | Margaret Smith Court (3) | 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 |
| 64. | March 30, 1970 | Cape Town Professional Championships, South Africa | ??? | Rosemary Casals (12) | 6-1, 6-0 |
| 65. | April 6, 1970 | Durban Natal Open, South Africa (2) | Hard | Margaret Smith Court (4) | 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 |
| 66. | April 20, 1970 | Italian Open, Rome3 | Clay | Julie Heldman (3) | 6-1, 6-3 |
| 67. | November 2, 1970 | Virginia Slims of Richmond, Virginia, U.S. | Clay (indoor) | Nancy Richey Gunter (3) | 6-3, 6-3 |
| 68. | November 16, 1970 | Embassy Open Indoor Championships (British Indoors), Wembley Arena, London | Indoor | Ann Haydon Jones (11) | 8-6, 3-6, 6-1 |
| 69. | January 4, 1971 | Virginia Slims British Motor Cars, San Francisco, U.S. | Indoor | Rosemary Casals (13) | 6-3, 6-4 |
| 70. | January 11, 1971 | Virginia Slims Billie Jean King Invitational, Long Beach, California, U.S. | Indoor | Rosemary Casals (14) | 6-1, 6-2 |
| 71. | January 18, 1971 | Virginia Slims of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. | Indoor | Rosemary Casals (15) | 6-3, 6-2 |
| 72. | January 25, 1971 | Virginia Slims of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S. | Indoor | Rosemary Casals (16) | 1-6, 7-6, 6-4 |
| 73. | February 8, 1971 | Virginia Slims of Chattanooga, Tennessee, U.S. | Indoor | Ann Haydon Jones (12) | 6-4, 6-1 |
| 74. | February 22, 1971 | U.S. Indoor Championships (Virginia Slims Nationals), Winchester, Massachusetts, U.S. (4) | Indoor | Rosemary Casals (17) | 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 |
| 75. | March 15, 1971 | Kmart Invitational, Birmingham, Michigan, U.S. | Indoor | Rosemary Casals (18) | 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 |
| 76. | April 19, 1971 | Virginia Slims of San Diego, California, U.S. | ??? | Rosemary Casals (19) | 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 |
| 77. | May 17, 1971 | German Open, Hamburg, West Germany | Clay | Helga Niessen Masthoff | 6-3, 6-2 |
| 78. | July 12, 1971 | Rothmans North of England, Hoylake, United Kingdom | Grass | Rosemary Casals (20) | 6-3, 6-3 |
| 79. | July 19, 1971 | Austrian Open, Kitzbuhel | Clay | Laura Rossouw | 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 |
| 80. | August 2, 1971 | Virginia Slims of Houston, Texas, U.S. | Indoor | Kerry Melville Reid (2) | 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 |
| 81. | August 9, 1971 | U.S. Women's Clay Court Championships, Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. | Clay | Linda Tuero | 6-4, 7-5 |
| 82. | August 30, 1971 | U.S. Open, New York City (2) | Grass | Rosemary Casals (21) | 6-4, 7-6(2) |
| 83. | September 13, 1971 | Virginia Slims of Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. | ??? | Rosemary Casals (22) | 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 |
| 84. | September 27, 1971 | Thunderbird Classic (Virginia Slims), Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.4 (2) | Hard | Rosemary Casals (23) | 7-5, 6-1 |
| 85. | October 25, 1971 | Embassy Open Indoor Championships (British Indoors), Wembley Arena, London | Indoor | Francoise Durr | 6-1, 5-7, 7-5 |
| 86. | January 10, 1972 | Virginia Slims of San Francisco, U.S. (2) | Indoor | Kerry Melville Reid (3) | 7-6, 7-6 |
| 87. | March 20, 1972 | Virginia Slims of Richmond, Virginia, U.S.5 (2) | Clay (indoor) | Nancy Richey Gunter (4) | 6-3, 6-4 |
| 88. | April 17, 1972 | Virginia Slims Conquistadores, Tucson, Arizona, U.S. | ??? | Francoise Durr (2) | 6-0, 6-3 |
| 89. | May 1, 1972 | Virginia Slims of Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. | Clay ? | Nancy Richey Gunter (5) | 6-3, 6-3 |
| 90. | May 22, 1972 | French Open, Paris | Clay | Evonne Goolagong Cawley | 6-3, 6-3 |
| 91. | June 5, 1972 | John Player Round Robin, Nottingham, United Kingdom | Grass | Virginia Wade (3) Rosemary Casals (24) | 6-7, 6-3, 6-4 6-7, 6-4, 7-5 |
| 92. | June 12, 1972 | W.D. & H.O. Wills Open, Bristol, United Kingdom | Grass | Kerry Melville Reid (4) | 6-3, 6-2 |
| 93. | June 26, 1972 | Wimbledon, London (4) | Grass | Evonne Goolagong Cawley (2) | 6-3, 6-3 |
| 94. | August 28, 1972 | U.S. Open, New York City (3) | Grass | Kerry Melville Reid (5) | 6-3, 7-5 |
| 95. | September 11, 1972 | Charlotte 4 Roses Classic, Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. | Clay | Margaret Smith Court (5) | 6-2, 6-2 |
| 96. | September 25, 1972 | Thunderbird Classic (Virginia Slims), Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. (3) | Hard | Margaret Smith Court (6) | 7-6(3), 6-3 |
| 97. | February 19, 1973 | Virginia Slims of Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.6 (3) | Indoor ? | Rosemary Casals (25) | 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 |
| 98. | May 7, 1973 | Toray Sillok, Tokyo (rounds before the semifinals played at various venues in Japan) | Indoor | Nancy Richey Gunter (6) | 7-6, 5-7, 6-3 |
| 99. | June 4, 1973 | Gulf Coast Women's Pro, Mobile, Alabama, U.S. | ??? | Francoise Durr (3) | 6-3, 7-5 |
| 100. | June 11, 1973 | John Player Open, Nottingham, United Kingdom (2) | Grass | Virginia Wade (4) | 8-6, 6-4 |
| 101. | June 25, 1973 | Wimbledon, London (5) | Grass | Chris Evert | 6-0, 7-5 |
| 102. | July 30, 1973 | Virginia Slims Majestic Tournament, Denver, Colorado, U.S. | ??? | Betty Stove | 6-4, 6-2 |
| 103. | October 1, 1973 | Thunderbird Classic (Virginia Slims), Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. (4) | Hard | Nancy Richey Gunter (7) | 6-1, 6-3 |
| 104. | October 22, 1973 | Virginia Slims of Hawaii, Honolulu, U.S. | Hard | Helen Gourlay Cawley | 6-1, 6-1 |
| 105. | November 19, 1973 | Tokyo Gunze Classic, Japan | ??? (indoor) | Nancy Richey Gunter (8) | 6-4, 6-4 |
| 106. | January 14, 1974 | Virginia Slims of San Francisco, U.S. (3) | Indoor | Chris Evert (2) | 7-6, 6-2 |
| 107. | January 28, 1974 | Virginia Slims of Washington, Washington, D.C., U.S. | Indoor | Kerry Melville Reid (6) | 6-0, 6-2 |
| 108. | February 18, 1974 | Virginia Slims of Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | Indoor | Rosemary Casals (26) | 6-1, 6-1 |
| 109. | March 18, 1974 | Akron Open (Virginia Slims), Ohio, U.S. | Indoor | Nancy Richey Gunter (9) | 6-3, 7-5 |
| 110. | March 25, 1974 | U.S. Indoor Championships (S&H Women's National Indoor Championships) (Virginia Slims), New York City, U.S. (5) | Indoor | Chris Evert (3) | 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 |
| 111. | August 26, 1974 | U.S. Open, New York City (4) | Grass | Evonne Goolagong Cawley (3) | 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 |
| 112. | January 13, 1975 | Virginia Slims of Sarasota, Florida, U.S. | Indoor | Chris Evert (4) | 6-2, 6-3 |
| 113. | June 23, 1975 | Wimbledon, London (6) | Grass | Evonne Goolagong Cawley (4) | 6-0, 6-1 |
| 114. | March 21, 1977 | McFarlin Cup (Lionel Cup tour), San Antonio, Texas, U.S. | Indoor | Mary Hamm | 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 |
| 115. | April 11, 1977 | Lionel Cup, Port Washington, New York ?, U.S. | Indoor | Caroline Stoll | 6-1, 6-1 |
| 116. | October 10, 1977 | Thunderbird Classic, Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. (5) | Hard | Wendy Turnbull | 1-6, 6-1, 6-0 |
| 117. | October 17, 1977 | Sao Paulo, Brazil | Hard | Betty Stove (2) | 6-1, 6-4 |
| 118. | October 24, 1977 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | Hard | Janet Newberry | 6-1, 6-3 |
| 119. | November 21, 1977 | Tokyo Gunze Classic, Japan (2) | Hard (indoor) | Martina Navratilova | 7-5, 5-7, 6-1 |
| 120. | December 5, 1977 | Crystal Palace Bremar Cup, United Kingdom | Indoor | Virginia Wade (5) | 6-3, 6-1 |
| 121. | September 10, 1979 | Toray Sillok, Tokyo (2) | Indoor | Evonne Goolagong Cawley (5) | 6-4, 7-5 |
| 122. | October 29, 1979 | Stockholm Open, Sweden | Indoor | Betty Stove (3) | 6-3, 6-7, 7-5 |
| 123. | February 18, 1980 | Avon Championships of Detroit, Michigan, U.S. (2) | Indoor | Evonne Goolagong Cawley (6) | 6-3, 6-0 |
| 124. | February 25, 1980 | Avon Championships of Houston, Texas, U.S. (2) | Indoor | Martina Navratilova (2) | 6-1, 6-3 |
| 125. | September 8, 1980 | Toray Sillok, Tokyo (3) | Indoor | Terry Holladay | 7-5, 6-4 |
| 126. | June 7, 1982 | Birmingham, United Kingdom | Grass | Rosalyn Fairbank | 6-2, 6-1 |
| 127. | May 30, 1983 | Kentish Times Festival, Beckenham, United Kingdom | Grass | Barbara Potter | 6-4, 6-3 |
| 128. | June 6, 1983 | Edgbaston Cup, Birmingham, United Kingdom (2) | Grass | Alicia Moulton | 6-0, 7-5 |
1 This was the first important singles title of King's career.
2 The crowd of 7,000 booed when a tiebreak was announced at 12-12. Both King and Jones refused to play a tiebreak, and a happy crowd got its moneys worth. King got a standing ovation when she won the 17-15 set.
3 This was the first important clay court title of King's career.
4 With this tournament championship, King became the first woman ever to win more than U.S.$100,000 in prize money during a calendar year.
5 This victory snapped Gunter's 13-match winning streak on indoor clay courts.
6 King ended the 58-match winning streak of Margaret Smith Court in the semifinals 6-7, 7-6, 6-3 after King saved at least three match points when down 5-4 (40-0) in the second set.
- 1968 - Pro Tour Miami
- 1970 - Pro Tour Oakland, Pro Tour Portland, Pro Tour Seattle
[edit] Runner-ups (52)
| No. | Week of | Tournament Name and Location | Surface | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 1. | April or May ??, 1961 | Central California Championships, Sacramento, California, U.S. | ??? | Carole Caldwell Graebner | ??? |
| 2. | May 8, 1961 | Southern California Championships, Los Angeles, U.S. | Hard | Karen Hantze Susman | 6-4, 6-1 |
| 3. | May 7, 1962 | Southern California Championships, Los Angeles, U.S. (2) | Hard | Karen Hantze Susman (2) | 6-3, 6-4 |
| 4. | June 24, 1963 | Wimbledon, London | Grass | Margaret Smith Court | 6-3, 6-4 |
| 5. | September 16, 1963 | Pacific Southwest Championships, Los Angeles, U.S. | Hard | Darlene Hard | 6-3, 6-3 |
| 6. | January 6, 1964 | Dallas Indoor Invitational, Texas, U.S. | Indoor | Nancy Richey Gunter | 6-2, 7-5 |
| 7. | May 4, 1964 | Southern California Championships, Los Angeles, U.S. (3) | Hard | Carole Caldwell Graebner (2) | 7-5, 3-6, 6-1 |
| 8. | August 3, 1964 | Piping Rock Invitational, Locust Valley, New York, U.S. | Grass | Nancy Richey Gunter (2) | 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 |
| 9. | September 28, 1964 | Pacific Southwest Championships, Los Angeles, U.S. (2) | Hard | Maria Bueno | 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 |
| 10. | November 23, 1964 | New South Wales Championships, Sydney, Australia | Grass | Margaret Smith Court (2) | 6-4, 6-3 |
| 11. | December 28, 1964 | South Australian Championships, Adelaide, Australia | Grass | Gail Sherriff Chanfreau Lovera | 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 |
| 12. | August 30, 1965 | U.S. Championships, New York City | Grass | Margaret Smith Court (3) | 8-6, 7-5 |
| 13. | February 6, 1967 | New England Women's Indoors, Salem, Massachusetts, U.S. | Indoor | Mary Ann Eisel | 6-4, 5-7, 11-9 |
| 14. | December 11, 1967 | South Australian Championships, Adelaide, Australia (2) | Grass | Judy Tegart Dalton | 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 |
| 15. | May 13, 1968 | National Tennis League, Madison Square Gardens Pro, New York City | Indoor | Ann Haydon Jones | 6-4, 6-4 |
| 16. | August 12, 1968 | National Tennis League, Colonial Pro Invitational, Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. | ??? | Ann Haydon Jones (2) | 6-1, 6-2 |
| 17. | August 26, 1968 | U.S. Open, New York City (2) | Grass | Virginia Wade | 6-4, 6-2 |
| 18. | January 20, 1969 | Australian Open, Brisbane, Australia | Grass | Margaret Smith Court (4) | 6-4, 6-1 |
| 19. | June 9, 1969 | Wills Open, Bristol, United Kingdom | Grass | Margaret Smith Court (5) | 6-3, 6-3 |
| 20. | June 23, 1969 | Wimbledon, London (2) | Grass | Ann Haydon Jones (3) | 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 |
| 21. | October 6, 1969 | Howard Hughes Open, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. | Hard | Nancy Richey Gunter (3) | 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 |
| 22. | November 17, 1969 | British Indoors Open, Wembley Arena, London | Indoor | Ann Haydon Jones (4) | 9-11, 6-2, 9-7 |
| 23. | February 2, 1970 | International Tennis Players Association Indoor Open, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | Indoor | Margaret Smith Court (6) | 6-3, 7-6 |
| 24. | March 2, 1970 | Maureen Connolly Brinker Memorial Indoor, Dallas, Texas, U.S. | Indoor | Margaret Smith Court (7) | 1-6, 6-3, 11-9 |
| 25. | March 23, 1970 | South African Open, Johannesburg | Hard | Margaret Smith Court (8) | 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 |
| 26. | June 22, 1970 | Wimbledon, London (3) | Grass | Margaret Smith Court (9) | 14-12, 11-9 |
| 27. | February 15, 1971 | Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S. | Clay | Francoise Durr | 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 |
| 28. | March 22, 1971 | Virginia Slims of New York, New York City, U.S. | Indoor | Rosemary Casals | 6-4, 6-4 |
| 29. | April 12, 1971 | Caesar's Palace World Pro, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. | ??? | Ann Haydon Jones (5) | 7-5, 6-4 |
| 30. | June 14, 1971 | London Queen's Grass Courts, United Kingdom | Grass | Margaret Smith Court (10) | 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 |
| 31. | August 16, 1971 | Virginia Slims of Chicago, U.S. | ??? | Francoise Durr (2) | 6-4, 6-2 |
| 32. | November 29, 1971 | Benson and Hedges Open, Christchurch, New Zealand | Grass | Francoise Durr (3) | 6-3, 6-0 |
| 33. | January 31, 1972 | Tennis Club Women's International, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S. (2) | Clay | Chris Evert | 6-1, 6-0 |
| 34. | March 6, 1972 | Maureen Connolly Brinker Memorial Indoor (Virginia Slims), Dallas, Texas, U.S. (2) | Indoor | Nancy Richey Gunter (4) | 7-6, 6-1 |
| 35. | April 3, 1972 | Virginia Slims of Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. | ??? | Marie Neumannova Pinterova | 6-4, 6-3 |
| 36. | August 14, 1972 | Virginia Slims of Denver International, Colorado, U.S. | Hard ? | Nancy Richey Gunter (5) | 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 |
| 37. | August 21, 1972 | Virginia Slims of Newport, Rhode Island, U.S. | Grass | Margaret Smith Court (11) | 6-4, 6-1 |
| 38. | September 18, 1972 | Golden Gate Pacific Coast Classic, Oakland, California, U.S. | Hard | Margaret Smith Court (12) | 6-2, 6-4 |
| 39. | March 5, 1973 | Virginia Slims of Chicago, U.S. (2) | Indoor | Margaret Smith Court (13) | 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 |
| 40. | April 9, 1973 | Virginia Slims Indoors, Boston, U.S. | Indoor | Margaret Smith Court (14) | 6-2, 6-4 |
| 41. | August 6, 1973 | Commerce Union Bank Classic (Virginia Slims), Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. | ??? | Margaret Smith Court (15) | 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 |
| 42. | January 21, 1974 | Virginia Slims of Mission Viejo, Palm Springs, California, U.S. | Hard | Chris Evert (2) | 6-3, 6-1 |
| 43. | April 22, 1974 | Virginia Slims of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | Indoor | Olga Morozova | 7-6, 6-1 |
| 44. | January 6, 1975 | Virginia Slims of San Francisco, U.S. | Indoor | Chris Evert (3) | 6-1, 6-1 |
| 45. | April 14, 1975 | L'Eggs World Series, Austin, Texas, U.S. | Hard | Chris Evert (4) | 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(2) |
| 46. | June 16, 1975 | Eastbourne International, Eastbourne, United Kingdom | Grass | Virginia Wade (2) | 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 |
| 47. | March 28, 1977 | Family Circle Cup, Hilton Head, South Carolina, U.S.1 | Clay | Chris Evert (5) | 6-0, 6-1 |
| 48. | October 31, 1977 | Colgate Masters, Mission Viejo, California, U.S. | Hard | Chris Evert (6) | 6-2, 6-2 |
| 49. | January 16, 1978 | Virginia Slims of Houston, Texas, U.S. | Indoor | Martina Navratilova | 1-6, 6-2, 6-2 |
| 50. | February 27, 1978 | Virginia Slims of Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. | Indoor | Martina Navratilova (2) | 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 |
| 51. | March 27, 1978 | Virginia Slims of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. (2) | Indoor | Chris Evert (7) | 6-0, 6-4 |
| 52. | July 23, 1979 | Buenos Aires Orbas, Argentina | ??? | Martina Navratilova (3) | 6-3, 6-4 |
1 In their final career singles match against each other, King defeated Nancy Richey Gunter in the first round of this tournament, which was played on clay, Gunter's favorite surface, 0-6, 7-6, 6-2.
[edit] Women's doubles
[edit] Wins
[edit] Runner-ups
[edit] Grand Slam tournament timelines
[edit] Singles
| Tournament | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | Career SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | A | A | A | A | A | A | SF | A | A | W | F | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A / A | A | A | A | A | QF | 2R | A | 1 / 5 |
| France | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | QF | SF | QF | QF | A | W | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | QF | A | 3R | A | A | 1 / 7 |
| Wimbledon | A | A | 2R | QF | F | SF | SF | W | W | W | F | F | SF | W | W | QF | W | A | QF | QF | QF | QF | A | SF | SF | A | 6 / 21 |
| United States | 1R | 3R | 2R | 1R | 4R | QF | F | 2R | W | F | QF | A | W | W | 3R | W | A | A | QF | A | SF | A | A | 1R | A | A | 4 / 18 |
| SR | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 3 | 1 / 2 | 2 / 3 | 2 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 2 | 1 / 2 | 3 / 3 | 1 / 2 | 1 / 2 | 1 / 1 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 0 | 12 / 51 |
A = did not participate in the tournament
SR = the ratio of the number of singles tournaments won to the number of those tournaments played
Note: The Australian Open was held twice in 1977, in January and December.
[edit] Women's doubles
| Tournament | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | Career SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | A | A | A | A | A | A | F | A | A | SF | F | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A / A | A | A | A | A | SF | SF | A | 0 / 5 |
| France | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | QF | F | QF | F | A | W | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 1R | QF | A | A | A | 1 / 7 |
| Wimbledon | A | A | W | W | 2R | F | W | QF | W | W | 3R | W | W | W | W | QF | SF | F | 2R | QF | W | SF | A | 2R | 3R | A | 10 / 22 |
| United States | A | A | A | F | QF | W | F | F | W | F | SF | A | A | SF | F | W | F | QF | QF | W | F | W | A | 3R | SF | QF | 5 / 20 |
| SR | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 1 / 1 | 1 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 1 / 2 | 1 / 3 | 0 / 2 | 2 / 3 | 1 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 1 / 2 | 1 / 1 | 2 / 3 | 1 / 2 | 1 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 1 / 2 | 1 / 2 | 1 / 3 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 1 | 16 / 54 |
A = did not participate in the tournament
SR = the ratio of the number of singles tournaments won to the number of those tournaments played
Note: The Australian Open was held twice in 1977, in January and December.
[edit] Mixed doubles
| Tournament | 1959 | 1960 | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | Career SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | A | A | A | A | A | A | QF | A | A | W | SF | NH | NH | NH | NH | NH | NH | NH | NH/NH | NH | NH | NH | NH | NH | NH | NH | 1 / 3 |
| France | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | W | F | SF | W | A | QF | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | A | 2R | A | A | A | 2 / 6 |
| Wimbledon | A | A | A | A | A | 2R | A | F | W | SF | QF | 3R | W | SF | W | W | 3R | 2R | SF | F | 3R | QF | A | 3R | F | A | 4 / 18 |
| United States | A | A | A | 2R | SF | QF | A | A | W | A | 3R | A | W | SF | W | SF | F | W | F | F | 2R | A | A | 2R | 2R | 3R | 4 / 17 |
| SR | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 3 / 3 | 1 / 3 | 0 / 4 | 1 / 2 | 2 / 2 | 0 / 3 | 2 / 2 | 1 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 1 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 2 | 0 / 1 | 11 / 44 |
A = did not participate in the tournament
SR = the ratio of the number of singles tournaments won to the number of those tournaments played
NH = event not held
Note: The Australian Open was held twice in 1977, in January and December.
[edit] See also
[edit] Grand Slam singles records
[edit] Wimbledon
King's overall win-loss record at Wimbledon was 96-15 .865 in 21 years (1961-1975, 1977-1980, 1982-1983). (Her win total includes one walkover but does not include any first round byes.)
King was 6-3 in finals, 9-5 in semifinals, and 14-6 in quarterfinals. King failed to reach the quarterfinals only once, in 1961 during her first Wimbledon. After receiving a bye during the first round, King lost to the fifth seed, Yola Ramirez Ochoa, in the second round.
King was 23-7 in three set matches, 73-8 in two set matches, and 5-1 in deuce third sets, i.e., sets that were tied 5-5 before being resolved.
King was seeded 18 times out of 21 years. (Wimbledon seeded 8 players from at least 1961 through 1976, 12 players in 1977, and 16 players from 1978 through the end of King's career.)
- Seeded #1 in 1974 (quarterfinalist), 1968 (champion), 1967 (champion).
- Seeded #2 in 1973 (champion), 1972 (champion), 1971 (semifinalist), 1970 (losing finalist), 1969 (losing finalist).
- Seeded #3 in 1975 (champion) and 1964 (semifinalist).
- Seeded #4 in 1966 (champion).
- Seeded #5 in 1980 (quarterfinalist), 1978 (quarterfinalist), 1977 (quarterfinalist), 1965 (semifinalist).
- Seeded #7 in 1979 (quarterfinalist).
- Seeded #10 in 1983 (semifinalist).
- Seeded #12 in 1982 (semifinalist).
- Unseeded in 1963 (losing finalist), 1962 (quarterfinalist), 1961 (lost second round).
King was 31-15 .674 against seeded players. She never lost to an unseeded player (65-0). Her worst loss was to #8 seed Olga Morozova in 1974.
- Versus #1 seeds, King was 4-7 (wins: Chris Evert (1975), Evonne Goolagong Cawley (1972), Margaret Smith Court (1966, 1962); losses: Martina Navratilova (1980), Chris Evert (1978, 1977), Margaret Smith Court (1970, 1964, 1963), Maria Bueno (1965)).
- Versus #2 seeds, King was 2-1 (wins: Maria Bueno (1966), Lesley Turner Bowrey (1963); loss: Chris Evert (1982)).
- Versus #3 seeds, King was 6-2 (wins: Tracy Austin (1982), Evonne Goolagong Cawley (1973), Virginia Wade (1970), Ann Haydon Jones (1967, 1963), Lesley Turner Bowrey (1965); losses: Andrea Jaeger (1983), Evonne Goolagong Cawley (1971)).
- Versus #4 seeds, King was 3-2 (wins: Evonne Goolagong Cawley (1975), Chris Evert (1973), Ann Haydon Jones (1968); losses: Tracy Austin (1979), Ann Haydon Jones (1969)).
- Versus #5 seeds, King was 0-2 (Ann Haydon Jones (1962), Yola Ramirez Ochoa (1961)).
- Versus #6 seeds, King was 4-0 (Wendy Turnbull (1982), Rosemary Casals (1972), Annette Du Plooy (1966), Ann Haydon Jones (1964)).
- Versus #7 seeds, King was 8-0 (Wendy Turnbull (1983), Olga Morozova (1975), Kerry Melville Reid (1973), Virginia Wade (1972), Francoise Durr (1971), Karen Krantzcke (1970), Judy Tegart Dalton (1968), Maria Bueno (1963)).
- Versus #8 seeds, King was 3-1 (wins: Judy Tegart Dalton (1969), Lesley Turner Bowrey (1968), Virginia Wade (1967); loss: Olga Morozova (1974)).
- Versus #14 seeds, King was 1-0 (Sue Barker (1978)).
Against her major rivals at Wimbledon, King was 4-2 versus Ann Haydon Jones, 3-0 versus Rosemary Casals, 3-0 versus Virginia Wade, 3-0 versus Francoise Durr, 3-1 versus Evonne Goolagong Cawley, 3-1 versus Maria Bueno, 2-3 versus Margaret Smith Court, 2-3 versus Chris Evert, 1-0 versus Christine Truman Janes, 1-0 versus Hana Mandlikova, 1-1 versus Olga Morozova, 1-1 versus Tracy Austin, and 0-1 versus Martina Navratilova.
[edit] United States Championships/Open
King's overall win-loss record at the United States Championships/Open was 63-14 .818 in 18 years (1959-1969, 1971-1974, 1977, 1979, 1982). She was 55-11 on grass, 5-2 on hard courts, and 3-1 on clay. (Her win total does not include any first round byes. Her loss total includes two retirements.)
King was 4-2 in finals, 6-1 in semifinals, and 7-3 in quarterfinals.
King was 8-4 in three set matches, 55-10 in two set matches, and 4-1 in deuce third sets, i.e., sets that were tied 5-5 before being resolved.
King was seeded 14 times out of the 18 years she entered the tournament.
- Seeded #1 in 1973 (lost third round), 1972 (champion), 1971 (champion), 1968 (losing finalist), 1967 (champion).
- Seeded #2 in 1974 (champion), 1966 (lost second round).
- Seeded #3 in 1969 (quarterfinalist), 1964 (quarterfinalist), 1963 (lost fourth round).
- Seeded #5 in 1965 (losing finalist).
- Seeded #7 in 1977 (quarterfinalist).
- Seeded #9 in 1979 (semifinalist).
- Seeded #12 in 1982 (lost first round).
- Unseeded in 1962 (lost first round), 1961 (lost second round), 1960 (lost third round), 1959 (lost first round).
King was 12-8 .600 against seeded players and 51-6 .895 against unseeded players.
- Versus #1 seeds, King was 0-3 (Chris Evert (1979 and 1977), Margaret Smith Court (1965)).
- Versus #2 seeds, King was 3-0 (Rosemary Casals (1971), Ann Haydon Jones (1967), Maria Bueno 1965).
- Versus #3 seeds, King was 1-0 (Ann Haydon Jones (1965)).
- Versus #4 seeds, King was 1-1 (win: Virginia Wade (1979); loss: Christine Truman Janes (1961)).
- Versus #5 seeds, King was 3-1 (wins: Evonne Goolagong Cawley (1974), Margaret Smith Court (1972), Maria Bueno (1968); loss: Nancy Richey Gunter (1964)).
- Versus #6 seeds, King was 1-2 (win: Rosemary Casals (1974); losses: Nancy Richey Gunter (1969), Virginia Wade (1968)).
- Versus #7 seeds, King was 0-1 (Bernice Carr Vukovich (1960)).
- Versus #8 seeds, King was 1-0 (Virginia Wade (1972)).
- Versus #9 seeds, King was 2-0 (Kerry Melville Reid (1977 and 1972)).
Against her major rivals at the United States Championships/Open, King was 3-1 versus Virginia Wade, 2-0 versus Maria Bueno, 2-0 versus Ann Haydon Jones, 2-0 versus Rosemary Casals, 1-0 versus Evonne Goolagong Cawley, 1-0 versus Francoise Durr, 1-1 versus Margaret Smith Court, 1-2 versus Chris Evert, 0-1 versus Christine Truman Janes, and 0-2 versus Nancy Richey Gunter.
[edit] French Championships/Open
King's overall win-loss record at the French Championships/Open was 22-6 .786 in 7 years (1967-1970, 1972, 1980, 1982). (Her win total does not include any first round byes but does include one walkover.)
King was 1-0 in finals, 1-1 in semifinals, and 2-4 in quarterfinals. She failed to reach the quarterfinals only once, in 1982 when she lost to Lucia Romanov in the third round.
King was 3-3 in three set matches, 19-3 in two set matches, and 1-0 in deuce third sets, i.e., sets that were tied 5-5 before being resolved.
King was seeded all 7 years she entered the tournament.
- Seeded #1 in 1968 (semifinalist), 1967 (quarterfinalist).
- Seeded #2 in 1980 (quarterfinalist), 1970 (quarterfinalist), 1969 (quarterfinalist).
- Seeded #3 in 1972 (champion).
- Seeded #10 in 1982 (lost third round).
King was 5-3 .625 against seeded players and 17-3 .850 against unseeded players.
- Versus #1 seeds, King was 1-0 (Evonne Goolagong Cawley (1972)).
- Versus #5 seeds, King was 0-2 (Diane Fromholtz Balestrat (1980), Nancy Richey Gunter (1968)).
- Versus #6 seeds, King was 1-0 (Virginia Wade (1972)).
- Versus #7 seeds, King was 1-1 (win: Helga Niessen Masthoff (1972); loss: Helga Niessen Masthoff (1970)).
- Versus #8 seeds, King was 1-0 (Maria Bueno (1968)).
- Versus #16 seeds, King was 1-0 (Gail Sheriff (1967)).
Against her major rivals at the French Championships/Open, King was 1-0 versus Virginia Wade, 1-0 versus Maria Bueno, 1-0 versus Evonne Goolagong Cawley, 1-1 versus Helga Niessen Masthoff, 0-1 versus Lesley Turner Bowrey, and 0-1 versus Nancy Richey Gunter.
[edit] Australian Championships/Open
King's overall win-loss record at the Australian Championships/Open was 16-4 .800 in 5 years (1965, 1968, 1969, 1982, 1983). (Her win total does not include any first round byes.)
King was 1-1 in finals, 2-1 in semifinals, and 3-1 in quarterfinals.
King was 5-1 in three set matches, 11-3 in two set matches, and 1-0 in deuce third sets, i.e., sets that were tied 5-5 before being resolved.
King was seeded all 5 years she entered the tournament.
- Seeded #1 overall in 1969 (losing finalist), 1968 (champion).
- Seeded #2 foreign in 1965 (semifinalist).
- Seeded #7 overall in 1983 (lost 2nd round).
- Seeded #9 overall in 1982 (quarterfinalist).
King was 6-3 .667 against seeded players and 10-1 .909 against unseeded players.
- Versus #1 seeds (domestic, foreign, or overall), King was 0-1 (Margaret Smith Court (1965)).
- Versus #2 seeds (domestic, foreign, or overall), King was 0-2 (Chris Evert 1982, Margaret Smith Court (1969)).
- Versus #3 seeds (domestic, foreign, or overall), King was 2-0 (Ann Haydon Jones (1969), Judy Tegart Dalton (1968)).
- Versus #4 seeds (domestic, foreign, or overall), King was 1-0 (Robyn Ebbern (1965)).
- Versus #6 seeds (domestic, foreign, or overall), King was 1-0 (Karen Krantzcke (1969)).
- Versus #7 seeds (domestic, foreign, or overall), King was 2-0 (Barbara Potter (1982), Margaret Smith Court (1968)).
Against her major rivals at the Australian Championships/Open, King was 1-0 versus Kerry Melville Reid, 1-0 versus Judy Tegart Dalton, 1-0 versus Evonne Goolagong Cawley, 1-0 versus Ann Haydon Jones, 1-2 versus Margaret Smith Court, and 0-1 versus Chris Evert.
[edit] References
- ^ Women's Tennis Association biography of Billie Jean King
- ^ Women's Tennis Association biography of Billie Jean King
- ^ International Tennis Hall of Fame biography of Billie Jean Moffitt King
- ^ Women's Tennis Association biography of Billie Jean King
- ^ Billie Jean won for all women
- ^ Official Wimbledon profile of Billie Jean King. Retrieved on 2007-02-15.
- ^ Randy Moffitt Statistics. Retrieved on 2007-02-15.
- ^ Press Release - King's Schools. Retrieved on 2007-02-15.
- ^ The Big Interview: Billie Jean King (December 9, 2007)
- ^ The Big Interview: Billie Jean King (December 9, 2007)
- ^ Billie Jean King Elected To Philip Morris Board
- ^ Billie Jean King, Mother of Modern Sports
- ^ Evert, Navratilova weigh in on tennis legend Billie Jean King
- ^ International Tennis Hall of Fame biography of Billie Jean Moffitt King. Retrieved on 2007-02-15.
- ^ Billie Jean won for all women
- ^ all things William. Retrieved on 2007-02-15.
- ^ Hollander, Zander; Collins, Bud (1994). Bud Collins' Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press, 605. ISBN 081039443X.
- ^ Official Wimbledon profile of Billie Jean King. Retrieved on 2007-02-15.
- ^ Hollander, Zander; Collins, Bud (1994). Bud Collins' Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press, 606. ISBN 081039443X.
- ^ Starr, Cynthia; King, Billie Jean (1988). We Have Come a Long Way: The Story of Women's Tennis. New York: McGraw-Hill, 106. ISBN 0-07-034625-9.
- ^ Hollander, Zander; Collins, Bud (1994). Bud Collins' Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press, 606. ISBN 081039443X.
- ^ Hollander, Zander; Collins, Bud (1994). Bud Collins' Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press, 623. ISBN 081039443X.
- ^ Hollander, Zander; Collins, Bud (1994). Bud Collins' Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press, 606. ISBN 081039443X.
- ^ Starr, Cynthia; King, Billie Jean (1988). We Have Come a Long Way: The Story of Women's Tennis. New York: McGraw-Hill, 113-4. ISBN 0-07-034625-9.
- ^ Hollander, Zander; Collins, Bud (1994). Bud Collins' Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press, 623. ISBN 081039443X.
- ^ Hollander, Zander; Collins, Bud (1994). Bud Collins' Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press, 606. ISBN 081039443X.
- ^ Starr, Cynthia; King, Billie Jean (1988). We Have Come a Long Way: The Story of Women's Tennis. New York: McGraw-Hill, 114. ISBN 0-07-034625-9.
- ^ Hollander, Zander; Collins, Bud (1994). Bud Collins' Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press, 623. ISBN 081039443X.
- ^ Hollander, Zander; Collins, Bud (1994). Bud Collins' Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press, 606. ISBN 081039443X.
- ^ Starr, Cynthia; King, Billie Jean (1988). We Have Come a Long Way: The Story of Women's Tennis. New York: McGraw-Hill, 114. ISBN 0-07-034625-9.
- ^ News Archive; 1966: Tennis
- ^ Hollander, Zander; Collins, Bud (1994). Bud Collins' Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press, 623. ISBN 081039443X.
- ^ Hollander, Zander; Collins, Bud (1994). Bud Collins' Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press, 606. ISBN 081039443X.
- ^ King claims that the United States Lawn Tennis Association prohibited her from playing the French Championships earlier in her career because the association needed her to play grass court tournaments in the United States to draw crowds. Starr, Cynthia; King, Billie Jean (1988). We Have Come a Long Way: The Story of Women's Tennis. New York: McGraw-Hill, 114. ISBN 0-07-034625-9.
- ^ News Archive; 1967: Tennis
- ^ Hollander, Zander; Collins, Bud (1994). Bud Collins' Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press, 623. ISBN 081039443X.
- ^ Hollander, Zander; Collins, Bud (1994). Bud Collins' Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press, 606. ISBN 081039443X.
- ^ Miss Richey Upsets Mrs. King, 4-6, 7-5, 6-0, to Gain Garden Tennis Final
- ^ News Archive; 1968: Tennis
- ^ Hollander, Zander; Collins, Bud (1994). Bud Collins' Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press, 623. ISBN 081039443X.
- ^ Starr, Cynthia; King, Billie Jean (1988). We Have Come a Long Way: The Story of Women's Tennis. New York: McGraw-Hill, 116. ISBN 0-07-034625-9.
- ^ Hollander, Zander; Collins, Bud (1994). Bud Collins' Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press, 606. ISBN 081039443X.
- ^ Hollander, Zander; Collins, Bud (1994). Bud Collins' Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press, 624. ISBN 081039443X.
- ^ Starr, Cynthia; King, Billie Jean (1988). We Have Come a Long Way: The Story of Women's Tennis. New York: McGraw-Hill, 116. ISBN 0-07-034625-9.
- ^ Hollander, Zander; Collins, Bud (1994). Bud Collins' Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press, 607. ISBN 081039443X.
- ^ Starr, Cynthia; King, Billie Jean (1988). We Have Come a Long Way: The Story of Women's Tennis. New York: McGraw-Hill, 122. ISBN 0-07-034625-9.
- ^ Hollander, Zander; Collins, Bud (1994). Bud Collins' Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press, 624. ISBN 081039443X.
- ^ Hollander, Zander; Collins, Bud (1994). Bud Collins' Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press, 607. ISBN 081039443X.
- ^ Official profile on the International Tennis Hall of Fame website
- ^ Hollander, Zander; Collins, Bud (1994). Bud Collins' Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press, 624. ISBN 081039443X.
- ^ Hollander, Zander; Collins, Bud (1994). Bud Collins' Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press, 607. ISBN 081039443X.
- ^ After winning the French Open in 1972, King stayed away from the tournament for seven consecutive years and, in fact, played the tournament only twice more during her career, in 1980 and 1982.
- ^ Hollander, Zander; Collins, Bud (1994). Bud Collins' Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press, 624. ISBN 081039443X.
- ^ Hollander, Zander; Collins, Bud (1994). Bud Collins' Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press, 607. ISBN 081039443X.
- ^ Starr, Cynthia; King, Billie Jean (1988). We Have Come a Long Way: The Story of Women's Tennis. New York: McGraw-Hill, 144. ISBN 0-07-034625-9.
- ^ Hollander, Zander; Collins, Bud (1994). Bud Collins' Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press, 196. ISBN 081039443X.
- ^ Starr, Cynthia; King, Billie Jean (1988). We Have Come a Long Way: The Story of Women's Tennis. New York: McGraw-Hill, 145. ISBN 0-07-034625-9.
- ^ Hollander, Zander; Collins, Bud (1994). Bud Collins' Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press, 624. ISBN 081039443X.
- ^ Hollander, Zander; Collins, Bud (1994). Bud Collins' Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press, 631. ISBN 081039443X.
- ^ Hollander, Zander; Collins, Bud (1994). Bud Collins' Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press, 607. ISBN 081039443X.
- ^ Hollander, Zander; Collins, Bud (1994). Bud Collins' Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press, 624. ISBN 081039443X.
- ^ Hollander, Zander; Collins, Bud (1994). Bud Collins' Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press, 631. ISBN 081039443X.
- ^ Hollander, Zander; Collins, Bud (1994). Bud Collins' Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press, 607. ISBN 081039443X.
- ^ Hollander, Zander; Collins, Bud (1994). Bud Collins' Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press, 624. ISBN 081039443X.
- ^ Hollander, Zander; Collins, Bud (1994). Bud Collins' Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press, 632. ISBN 081039443X.
- ^ Hollander, Zander; Collins, Bud (1994). Bud Collins' Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press, 607. ISBN 081039443X.
- ^ Billie Jean won for all women. Retrieved on 2007-02-15.
- ^ Hollander, Zander; Collins, Bud (1994). Bud Collins' Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press, 623. ISBN 081039443X.
- ^ Hollander, Zander; Collins, Bud (1994). Bud Collins' Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press, 623-4. ISBN 081039443X.
- ^ Hollander, Zander; Collins, Bud (1994). Bud Collins' Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis. Detroit, MI: Visible Ink Press, 631. ISBN 081039443X.
- ^ Women's Tennis Association biography of Billie Jean King. Retrieved on 2007-02-15.
- ^ Who Is the Greatest Female Player Ever?
- ^ Philadelphia Freedom by Elton John
- ^ Billie Jean won for all women
- ^ Billie Jean King, Dennis & Judy Shepard, Doonesbury, Harper's and Many Others Honored at the 11th Annual GLAAD Media Awards Presented by ABSOLUT VODKA
- ^ History of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center
- ^ The Big Interview: Billie Jean King (December 9, 2007)
[edit] External links
- Official Website
- Billie Jean King profile on the WTA Tour's official website
- International Tennis Hall of Fame profile
- Fed Cup profile for Billie Jean King
- Official Wimbledon profile
- BBC profile
- ESPN.com article
- When Billie Beat Bobby at the Internet Movie Database (info on the 2001 TV drama/comedy about The Battle of the Sexes)
- Billie Jean's motivational commencement speech
- World TeamTennis
Australian Open women's singles champions* |
|---|
* Open Era • (1969-70-71) Margaret Smith Court • (1972) Virginia Wade • (1973) Margaret Smith Court • (1974-75-76) Evonne Goolagong • (1977[Jan]) Kerry Reid • (1977[Dec]) Evonne Goolagong • (1978) Chris O'Neil • (1979) Barbara Jordan • (1980) Hana Mandlíková • (1981) Martina Navrátilová • (1982) Chris Evert-Lloyd • (1983) Martina Navrátilová • (1984) Chris Evert-Lloyd • (1985) Martina Navrátilová • (1987) Hana Mandlíková • (1988-90) Steffi Graf • (1991-93) Monica Seles • (1994) Steffi Graf • (1995) Mary Pierce • (1996) Monica Seles • (1997-99) Martina Hingis • (2000) Lindsay Davenport • (2001-02) Jennifer Capriati • (2003) Serena Williams • (2004) Justine Henin-Hardenne • (2005) Serena Williams • (2006) Amélie Mauresmo • (2007) Serena Williams |
French Open women's singles champions* |
|---|
* Open Era • (1968) Nancy Richey • (1969–70) Margaret Smith Court • (1971) Evonne Goolagong • (1972) Billie Jean King • (1973) Margaret Smith Court • (1974–75) Chris Evert • (1976) Sue Barker • (1977) Mima Jaušovec • (1978) Virginia Ruzici • (1979–80) Chris Evert-Lloyd • (1981) Hana Mandlíková • (1982) Martina Navrátilová • (1983) Chris Evert-Lloyd • (1984) Martina Navrátilová • (1985–86) Chris Evert-Lloyd • (1987–88) Steffi Graf • (1989) Arantxa Sánchez • (1990–92) Monica Seles • (1993) Steffi Graf • (1994) Arantxa Sánchez Vicario • (1995–96) Steffi Graf • (1997) Iva Majoli • (1998) Arantxa Sánchez Vicario • (1999) Steffi Graf • (2000) Mary Pierce • (2001) Jennifer Capriati • (2002) Serena Williams • (2003) Justine Henin-Hardenne • (2004) Anastasia Myskina • (2005–07) Justine Henin |
Wimbledon women's singles champions* |
|---|
* Open Era • (1968) Billie Jean King • (1969) Ann Haydon-Jones • (1970) Margaret Smith Court • (1971) Evonne Goolagong • (1972-73) Billie Jean King • (1974) Chris Evert • (1975) Billie Jean King • (1976) Chris Evert • (1977) Virginia Wade • (1978-79) Martina Navrátilová • (1980) Evonne Goolagong • (1981) Chris Evert • (1982-83-84-85-86-87) Martina Navrátilová • (1988-89) Steffi Graf • (1990) Martina Navrátilová • (1991-92-93) Steffi Graf • (1994) Conchita Martínez • (1995-96) Steffi Graf • (1997) Martina Hingis • (1998) Jana Novotná • (1999) Lindsay Davenport • (2000-01) Venus Williams • (2002-03) Serena Williams • (2004) Maria Sharapova • (2005) Venus Williams • (2006) Amélie Mauresmo • (2007) Venus Williams |
US Open women's singles champions* |
|---|
* Open Era • (1968) Virginia Wade • (1969-70) Margaret Smith Court • (1971-72) Billie Jean King • (1973) Margaret Smith Court • (1974) Billie Jean King • (1975-78) Chris Evert • (1979) Tracy Austin • (1980) Chris Evert-Lloyd • (1981) Tracy Austin • (1982) Chris Evert-Lloyd • (1983-84) Martina Navrátilová • (1985) Hana Mandlíková • (1986-87) Martina Navrátilová • (1988-89) Steffi Graf • (1990) Gabriela Sabatini • (1991-92) Monica Seles • (1993) Steffi Graf • (1994) Arantxa Sánchez Vicario • (1995-96) Steffi Graf • (1997) Martina Hingis • (1998) Lindsay Davenport • (1999) Serena Williams • (2000-01) Venus Williams • (2002) Serena Williams • (2003) Justine Henin-Hardenne • (2004) Svetlana Kuznetsova • (2005) Kim Clijsters • (2006) Maria Sharapova • (2007) Justine Henin |
Female tennis players who have won 3 or more Grand Slam singles titles in one season |
|---|
1928–29: Helen Wills Moody (3) • 1953: Maureen Connolly (4) • 1962–65–69–70–73: Margaret Court (3–3–3–4–3) • 1972: Billie Jean King (3) • 1983–84: Martina Navratilova (3–3) • 1988–89–93–95–96: Steffi Graf (4–3–3–3–3) • 1991–92: Monica Seles (3) • 1997: Martina Hingis (3) • 2002: Serena Williams (3) |
| Preceded by King Faisal | Time's Women of the Year (representing American Women alongside Betty Ford, Carla Hills, Ella Grasso, Barbara Jordan, Susie Sharp, Jill Conway, Susan Brownmiller, Addie Wyatt, Kathleen Byerly, Carol Sutton and Alison Cheek) 1975 | Succeeded by Jimmy Carter |
| Preceded by Donna de Varona | Flo Hyman Memorial Award 1997 | Succeeded by Nadia Comaneci |
es:Billie Jean King fr:Billie Jean King it:Billie Jean King he:בילי ג'ין קינג hu:Billie Jean King nl:Billie Jean King ja:ビリー・ジーン・キング no:Billie Jean King pl:Billie Jean King pt:Billie Jean King simple:Billie Jean King fi:Billie Jean King sv:Billie Jean King
Categories: 1943 births | Living people | California State University, Los Angeles alumni | American tennis players | Tennis Hall of Fame members | Australian Open champions | French Open champions | US Open champions | Wimbledon champions | American feminists | People from Long Beach, California | Bisexual sportspeople | Lesbian sportspeople | Time magazine Persons of the Year
