Career Timeline of Billie Jean King: Major Achievements and Milestones
Discover the career path of Billie Jean King, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.
Billie Jean King is a celebrated American former world No. 1 tennis player. Her illustrious career boasts 39 Grand Slam titles, comprising 12 in singles, 16 in women's doubles, and 11 in mixed doubles. Beyond her individual achievements, King contributed significantly to team success, representing the United States on seven victorious Federation Cup teams and nine Wightman Cup teams. She's also a champion for gender equality in sports and society.
1939: Bobby Riggs Wins Wimbledon
In 1939, Bobby Riggs won the Wimbledon men's singles title.
1939: King equals Marble's achievement
In 1967, Billie Jean King became the first woman since Alice Marble in 1939 to win the singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles titles at both Wimbledon and the U.S. Championships. Alice Marble was the last person to achieve that feat.
1941: Bobby Riggs Ranked World No. 1
In 1941, Bobby Riggs was considered the World No. 1 male tennis player.
1946: Bobby Riggs Ranked World No. 1
In 1946, Bobby Riggs was considered the World No. 1 male tennis player.
1947: Bobby Riggs Ranked World No. 1
In 1947, Bobby Riggs was considered the World No. 1 male tennis player.
1959: Thirteen unsuccessful attempts to win Grand Slam
From 1959 through 1965, Billie Jean King had thirteen unsuccessful attempts to win a Grand Slam singles title.
1959: Grand Slam Debut
In 1959, Billie Jean King made her Grand Slam debut at the U.S. Championships at the age of 15 and lost in the first round. Her national tennis ranking was number 19 this year.
1959: First Grand Slam singles event
In 1959, Billie Jean King played her first Grand Slam singles event.
1960: First Tournament Win
In 1960, Billie Jean King won her first tournament in Philadelphia at the Philadelphia and District Grass Court Championships. She also reached the final of the National Girls' 18 and Under Championships and her national tennis ranking improved to number 4.
1961: Wimbledon Women's Doubles Title
In 1961, Billie Jean King gained international recognition, and she won the Wimbledon women's doubles title in her first attempt, partnering with Karen Hantze. They were the youngest team to win the title. She was 17.
1961: King's Debut at Wimbledon
In 1961, Billie Jean King made her debut at Wimbledon.
1962: Singles win against Margaret Court
In 1962, at Wimbledon, Billie Jean King upset Margaret Court, the World No. 1, in a second round match. King and Hantze repeated their doubles victory at Wimbledon.
1963: Wimbledon Final Loss
In 1963, Billie Jean King faced Margaret Court in the Wimbledon final but lost.
1963: Federation Cup Win
In 1963, Billie Jean King was on the winning United States team at the Federation Cup.
1964: Leaves College to Focus on Tennis
In 1964, Billie Jean King left Los Angeles State College (now California State University, Los Angeles) to focus on tennis full-time.
1964: Commits Full-Time to Tennis
In 1964, Billie Jean King won four relatively minor titles but lost to Margaret Court in the Wimbledon semi-finals. She defeated Ann Haydon-Jones at both the Wightman Cup and Fed Cup, and decided to commit to tennis full-time after Robert Mitchell offered to pay for her training in Australia.
1965: First time King did not win a Grand Slam
1969 was the first year since 1965 that Billie Jean King did not win at least one Grand Slam singles title.
1965: Thirteen unsuccessful attempts to win Grand Slam
From 1959 through 1965, Billie Jean King had thirteen unsuccessful attempts to win a Grand Slam singles title.
1965: Loses US No. 1 Position
In 1965, Billie Jean King continued her tour of Australia. Later that year, at Wimbledon, she lost in the semi-finals to Maria Bueno. At the U.S. Championships, she lost to Margaret Court in the final. The United States Lawn Tennis Association overruled its ranking committee's recommendation and voted to rank Nancy Richey Gunter and King as co-U.S. No. 1.
1965: King returns to the Australian summer tour
In December 1967, Billie Jean King returned to the Australian summer tour for the first time since 1965. She participated in seven events, often competing against Judy Tegart, and won four of their matches.
1966: King vs Court rivalry begins
From 1966 through 1975, Billie Jean King and Margaret Court played 35 of the 40 Grand Slam singles tournaments. They together won 24 of them.
1966: Federation Cup Win
In 1966, Billie Jean King was on the winning United States team at the Federation Cup.
1966: Year-Ending World No. 1
In 1966, Billie Jean King was the year-ending World No. 1.
1966: First Grand Slam singles title
In 1966, Billie Jean King won the first of her six singles titles at Wimbledon, defeating Margaret Court in the semi-finals and Maria Bueno in the final. She also ended her nine-match losing streak to Margaret Court by defeating her in the final of the South African Tennis Championships.
1967: King's Success in 1967
In 1967, Billie Jean King defended her title at the South African Tennis Championships, won her second consecutive Wimbledon singles title, and claimed her first U.S. Championships singles title without dropping a set. She also achieved the feat of winning the singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles titles at both Wimbledon and the U.S. Championships, a milestone not seen since 1939.
1967: Federation Cup Win
In 1967, Billie Jean King was on the winning United States team at the Federation Cup.
1968: King's Tournament Wins and Knee Surgery in 1968
In early 1968, Billie Jean King secured three consecutive tournament victories in Australia, winning the Western Australia Championships, the Tasmanian Championships, and the Australian Championships. She later underwent knee surgery in September of 1968 to repair cartilage, causing her to miss the remainder of the year's tournaments.
1969: King's 1969 Season
In 1969, Billie Jean King participated in the Australian summer tour but did not win a tournament. She reached the final of the Australian Open, losing to Margaret Court. Later in the year, she won the Pacific Coast Pro, the Los Angeles Pro, and the South African Open. King finished the year with titles at the Pacific Southwest Open in Los Angeles, the Stockholm Indoors, and the Midland (Texas) Pro.
September 1970: Pacific Southwest Open Prize Discrepancy and Houston Virginia Slims invitational
In September 1970, due to the significant prize money discrepancy between men and women at the Pacific Southwest Open, where men's top prize was $12,500 compared to women's $1,500 and unequal expense coverage, Billie Jean King and eight other women boycotted the tournament. This led to them organizing the women-only Houston Virginia Slims Invitational, which helped launch a series of women-only tournaments.
1970: Margaret Court won the Grand Slam
Margaret Court won the Grand Slam in 1970. This is in reference to her missing significant portions of 1971 and 1972 due to childbirth.
1971: King on the Australian Open
Billie Jean King reflects on not playing the Australian Open in late 1971.
1971: Grand Slam Streak Begins
From 1971 through 1975, Billie Jean King won seven of the ten Grand Slam singles tournaments she played, beginning a streak of success.
1971: King becomes first female tennis player to earn $100,000 a year
In 1971, Billie Jean King became the first female tennis player to earn $100,000 in a year, resulting in a congratulatory phone call from President Richard M. Nixon. In August, King won the indoor Houston tournament and the U.S. Women's Clay Court Championships in Indianapolis. She then won the US Open without losing a set.
1971: King's 1971 Season
In 1971, Billie Jean King won 17 tournaments, making it the best year of her career in terms of tournament wins. She played in 31 singles tournaments, achieving a 112–13 win–loss record.
1971: Formation of Women's Tennis Group
In 1971, Larry King created the idea to form a nine player women's tennis group with the backing of World Tennis magazine and Virginia Slims sponsorship. Billie Jean King became the first woman athlete to earn over US$100,000 in prize money that year.
1971: King's performance in May and June
In early May 1971, Billie Jean King lost a second-round match at Hurlingham. However, she rebounded the following week to win the German Open in Hamburg. Four weeks later, she lost to Margaret Court at the Queen's Club tournament in London.
1972: King won the French Open
In 1972, Billie Jean King won the French Open and completed a career singles Grand Slam.
1972: Inequality at US Open
In 1972, Billie Jean King won the US Open but received US$15,000 less than the men's champion Ilie Năstase, prompting her to advocate for equal prize money.
1972: King's Grand Slam Wins and Australian Open Absence in 1972
In 1972, Billie Jean King won three Grand Slam singles titles, but chose not to play the Australian Open due to its minor-league status at the time and her commitment to the Virginia Slims winter tournaments.
1972: Career Grand Slam
In 1972, Billie Jean King's French Open win made her the fifth woman in tennis history to win the singles titles at all four Grand Slam events, achieving a "career Grand Slam".
September 20, 1973: The Battle of the Sexes
On September 20, 1973, Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in the "Battle of the Sexes" match at the Houston Astrodome. The match was viewed by a large audience and is considered significant for women's tennis recognition.
1973: First president of Women's Tennis Association
In 1973, Billie Jean King became the first president of the women's players union – the Women's Tennis Association.
1973: King Completes Triple Crown at Wimbledon
In 1973, Billie Jean King completed the Triple Crown at Wimbledon, winning the singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles titles, becoming the first player to achieve this in the Open Era. She then resumed her rivalry with Margaret Court at the Virginia Slims of Nashville tournament. Later, at the US Open, she retired from her fourth-round match due to illness and heat. The Battle of the Sexes against Bobby Riggs also took place in 1973 during the Virginia Slims of Houston tournament, which she won.
1973: King defeats Bobby Riggs in 'Battle of the Sexes'
In 1973, Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in an exhibition match, winning $100,000, which is equivalent to $707,000 in 2024.
1973: Margaret Court's season
In 1973, Margaret Court dominated women's tennis, winning three Grand Slam singles titles and securing the world No. 1 ranking. Billie Jean King started inconsistently due to a wrist injury.
1973: Battle of the Sexes
In 1973, at the age of 29, Billie Jean King won the "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match against 55-year-old Bobby Riggs. She was also the founder of the Women's Tennis Association and the Women's Sports Foundation, and was instrumental in persuading Virginia Slims to sponsor women's tennis.
1973: Equal Prize Money at US Open
In 1973, the US Open became the first major tournament to offer equal prize money for men and women, following Billie Jean King's advocacy.
1974: King's performance in 1974
In 1974, Billie Jean King won five of the first seven tournaments she contested, including the Virginia Slims of San Francisco and the U.S. Indoor Championships, and she also won her fourth singles title at the US Open.
1974: Founding womenSports magazine and Women's Sports Foundation
In 1974, Billie Jean King, along with her husband Larry King and Jim Jorgensen, founded womenSports magazine and started the Women's Sports Foundation.
1975: King vs Court rivalry ends
From 1966 through 1975, Billie Jean King and Margaret Court played 35 of the 40 Grand Slam singles tournaments. They together won 24 of them.
1975: Year-Ending World No. 1
From 1966 through 1975, Billie Jean King was the year-ending World No. 1 in six of those years.
1975: Grand Slam Streak Ends
From 1971 through 1975, Billie Jean King won seven of the ten Grand Slam singles tournaments she played, ending a successful streak.
1975: King Temporarily Retires from Singles
In 1975, Billie Jean King played singles only half the year before temporarily retiring from tournament singles competition after winning her sixth Wimbledon singles title.
1976: King's doubles play and knee surgery
In 1976, Billie Jean King primarily played doubles and mixed doubles, partnering with Phil Dent to win the mixed doubles title at the US Open. She later had her third knee surgery in November.
1976: Federation Cup Win
In 1976, Billie Jean King was on the winning United States team at the Federation Cup.
1977: King's performance at Wimbledon 1977
In 1977, Billie Jean King played Maria Bueno for the last time at Wimbledon, where she lost to Chris Evert in the quarterfinals. It was the first time King had competed at Wimbledon without reaching a final since 1961.
1978: King focused on doubles after Wimbledon.
In 1978, Billie Jean King played ten singles tournaments during the first half of the year, after Wimbledon she focused on doubles.
1978: King's doubles success and foot surgery
In 1978, Billie Jean King teamed with Martina Navratilova to win the women's doubles title at the US Open and was undefeated in Federation Cup doubles matches. She underwent foot surgery in December.
1979: King's Limited Play Due to Surgery
In 1979, Billie Jean King played only one event, doubles in the Federation Cup, due to surgery on her left foot in December 1978.
1979: Federation Cup Win
In 1979, Billie Jean King was on the winning United States team at the Federation Cup.
1980: King at Wimbledon
In 1980, Billie Jean King competed at Wimbledon, not reaching the final.
1980: King at the 1980 French Open
In 1980, Billie Jean King played the French Open for the first time since she won the event in 1972, losing in the quarterfinals.
1981: King wins Grand Slam title
In 1981, Billie Jean King teamed with Martina Navratilova to win her 39th and final Grand Slam title at the US Open. Navratilova then decided she wanted a new doubles partner, leading to a confrontation with King.
1982: League commissioner
In 1982, Billie Jean King became commissioner of World TeamTennis.
1982: King at Wimbledon
In 1982, Billie Jean King competed at Wimbledon, not reaching the final.
1983: Last Grand Slam singles event
In 1983, Billie Jean King played her last Grand Slam singles event.
1984: Wimbledon Mixed Doubles
In 1984, Billie Jean King and Vijay Amritraj were seeded sixth for the Wimbledon mixed doubles, but they withdrew before the tournament began.
1984: Major Owner of World TeamTennis
In 1984, Billie Jean King became a major owner in World TeamTennis.
March 1990: Retirement from Doubles
In March 1990, Billie Jean King retired from competitive doubles play. Her last match was a second round loss at the Virginia Slims of Florida tournament, partnering with Jennifer Capriati, against Brenda Schultz-McCarthy and Andrea Temesvári.
1996: Fed Cup Championship
In 1996, as captain of the United States Fed Cup team, Billie Jean King guided the U.S. to the Fed Cup championship and helped Lindsay Davenport, Gigi Fernández, and Mary Joe Fernández capture Olympic gold medals.
2002: Dismissal of Capriati from Fed Cup Team
In 2002, Billie Jean King dismissed Jennifer Capriati from the Fed Cup team for violating rules about personal coaches, which sparked controversy.
2012: Involvement in Foundations and Council
As of 2012, Billie Jean King was involved in the Women's Sports Foundation and the Elton John AIDS Foundation. She also served on the President's Council for Fitness, Sports and Nutrition.
May 2022: Partnership with PWHPA
In May 2022, the Mark Walter Group and BJK Enterprises partnered with the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) with the intent to create a new professional women's ice hockey league in North America.
June 29, 2023: Purchase of Premier Hockey Federation
On June 29, 2023, the Mark Walter Group and BJK Enterprises, headed by Mark Walter and Billie Jean King respectively, purchased the intellectual property and key elements of the Premier Hockey Federation (PHF). This buyout resulted in a single women's professional ice hockey league in North America, with the new league beginning on January 1, 2024.
January 1, 2024: Inauguration of new women's Hockey League
On January 1, 2024, the new professional women's ice hockey league in North America began, following the purchase of the PHF in June 2023 by the Mark Walter Group and BJK Enterprises. The first game was played between New York and Toronto in Toronto.
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