Latest news with #BattleoftheSexes'
Time Magazine
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Time Magazine
Billie Jean King
How much impact can you have with a $5,000 donation? If you're tennis legend Billie Jean King, quite a lot. That's how much King gifted in seed money to launch the Women's Sports Foundation (WSF) in 1974—an organization that has since channeled over $100 million into creating opportunities for women in sports through research and grants to individual athletes and nonprofits. That initial gift reflected King's trademark fusion of activism and savvy institution-building, honed during a pivotal year in 1973 when she co-founded the Women's Tennis Association, successfully lobbied the U.S. Open to become the first major tournament to offer equal prize money, and beat Bobby Riggs in the historic 'Battle of the Sexes' match. In the ensuing five decades, she's remained dedicated to advocacy for equality in sports and to philanthropy that supports the power of sports to transform lives and foster social change. Her Billie Jean King Foundation provides grants to the WSF, where she is honorary chair, as well as awards for young sports leaders. Celebrating WSF's 50th anniversary last October, King said, 'We must all remain committed to protecting the progress made, while working toward a future where the playing field is truly level.'
Reuters
09-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Reuters
American great King gets Hollywood star treatment
Item 1 of 2 Tennis icon Billie Jean King speaks on the day of her star unveiling ceremony on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, California, U.S., April 7, 2025. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni April 9 (Reuters) - American tennis great Billie Jean King has been honoured with her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. King, a 39-times Grand Slam singles and doubles champion who has become an advocate for social equality, is the first woman to be given a star in the new sports entertainment category. "The important thing is, I don't want to be the last one," the 81-year-old said. Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame were previously reserved for those in cinema, television, radio, theatre and music. King's star is the 2,807th to be installed on the famous Hollywood strip since the custom began in 1960. "My family loved music and movies. My mother would have loved this," said King, the founder of the Women's Tennis Association and trailblazer for gender equality in the sport. King's work to create the WTA and the famous 'Battle of the Sexes' match against Bobby Riggs was portrayed in the 2017 movie of the same name.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Billie Jean King receives Hollywood Walk of Fame star for sports entertainment
Billie Jean King, the 12-time Grand Slam singles champion and a founding leader of the WTA Tour, has been awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles for her contributions to sports entertainment. The 81-year-old is the first woman to receive the accolade in that category, which includes NFL Hall of Famer Michael Strahan and the late actor and former NFL player Carl Weathers. King received the star on April 7, at a ceremony led by Oscar-winner Jamie Lee Curtis and NBA Hall of Famer Earvin 'Magic' Johnson. Advertisement 'I may be the first woman to be awarded a star in this category, but I'm certainly not going to be the last,' King wrote in a post on X. King, who won 39 Grand Slam titles overall, was fundamental to the awarding of equal prize money in tennis. Her work led to the U.S. Open becoming the first Grand Slam tournament to do it in 1973, the same year that she beat Bobby Riggs in the historic 'Battle of the Sexes' tennis showdown. In 1974, King created the Women's Sports Foundation, two years after Title IX banned sex discrimination in schools in the U.S. She has since diversified her influence across multiple sports, investing in the NWSL's Angel City FC, the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks and MLB's Los Angeles Dodgers. She also lends her name to the Billie Jean King Cup, the international women's team tennis competition. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Sports Business, Culture, Tennis, Women's Tennis 2025 The Athletic Media Company
