Billie Jean King

Billie Jean King (née Moffitt) (born November 22, 1943, in Long Beach, California) is a 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. King has been an advocate against sexism in sports and society. She is known for the "The Battle of

the Sexes" in 1973, in which she defeated Bobby Riggs, a former Wimbledon men's champion. King is the founder of the Women's Tennis Association, the Women's Sports Foundation, and World Team Tennis, which she founded with her former husband, Lawrence King. King is a pioneer in woman's rights movement. She was an activist for female athletes. After a free tennis lesson at the age of 11 she told her mother "I am going to be number one in the world." (www.billiejeanking.com). Facts that contributed to her becoming such a astrong influence in womens rights: -In 1955 King was barred from posing for a group picture of junior tennis players because she was wearing tennis shorts and not a tennis skirt. -In 1973 King lobbied for and obtained equal prize money for men and women at the U.S. Open. -First woman to coach a co-ed team in professioinal