Billy+Jean+King

Notes: 20 []
 * Notes:**
 * Got awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009
 * She went to the white house in august 12, 2009 to meet president Obama to receive her award
 * Named one of the “100 Most Important Americans of the 20th Century” by Life Magazine in 1990.
 * Won 39 grand slams
 * Did doubles and singles for her matches
 * Won 20 times at Wimbledon
 * Was the author of a book titled “// Pressure is a Privilege: Lessons I’ve Learned from Life and the Battle of the Sexes” //
 * Was one of nine players who broke away from the tennis establishment and accepted $1 contracts from tennis promoter Gladys Heldman in Houston.
 * Led a revolt to help women’s tennis become professional
 * Defeated Bobby Riggs in battle of the sexes which empowered women and educated men
 * Founded Women’s Tennis Association in 1973
 * Founded Women’s Sports Association in 1974
 * Founded Women’s Sports Magazine in 1974
 * Co-founded the GreenSlam
 * Co-founded WorldTeam tennis in 1974
 * Named Global Mentor for Gender Equality in 2008
 * received the NCAA President’s Gerald R. Ford Award in 2009
 * A leader in GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender) community
 * On August 28, 2006 the National Tennis Center was renamed the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis center
 * Currently is with the Women's Sports Foundation

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 * Won 6 Wimbledon singles championships
 * Won 4 us open titles
 * Beat Chris Evert
 * Beat Martina Navratilova
 * Beat Margaret Court
 * Her most remebered match was against a 55-year old man
 * Major help for the Women's rights in the 1970's
 * Most remebered match was when she beat Bobby Riggs
 * The match was played on Mother's Day in 1973
 * King rejected Riggs first challenge but then accpeted his latest one
 * Won the match 6-4, 6-3, 6-3
 * London Sunday Times called it "the drop, serve, and volley heard around the world"
 * She was a pioneer
 * The match was televised for 55 million people
 * Was the only woman on the "100 Most Important Americans of the 20th Century"
 * One of 4 athletes in the article (along with Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, and Muhammad Ali)
 * Her birth name was Billie Jean Moffitt
 * Lives in New York
 * Won her first championship at 17
 * Won her first championship with Karen Hantze

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 * Born on November 22, 1943
 * Born in Long Beach, CA
 * Was very good at softball in younger years
 * Her parents said it was "unladylike" then introduced her to tennis
 * In 1967 was selected as "Outstanding Female Athlete of the World
 * Was named "Sportsperson of the Year" by Sports Illustrated in 1972
 * She was the first woman to be honored this
 * Dubbed "Female Athlete of the Year" in 1973
 * Was the first woman to win $100,000 in prize money in a single season
 * President Nixon called to congradulate her
 * Her constant lobbying and commitments have broken many barriers
 * Established the first professional women's tennis tour
 * She founded tennis clinics for underprivledged children
 * The US open started in 1968 and King turned pro
 * She earned $1,966,487 in career prize money
 * In 1975 was named the most admired woman in the world
 * She hated to lose
 * She was only 5'4"
 * After she retired she became an announcer, author and coach
 * She believes she was destined to do this

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 * Raised by a conservative Methodist family
 * first played tennis in local courts
 * mom was Betty Moffitt
 * dad was Willard Moffitt
 * she had a brother, Randy
 * Randy became a professional baseball player
 * started tennis at age 11
 * won her first amatuer tournament at 14
 * got her first coach at age 15
 * her first coach was Alice Marble
 * she is right-handed
 * was inducted in the international hall of fame in 1987
 * she won 695 singles matches
 * she lost 155 singles matches
 * she had a 81.76% singles win percentage
 * had 129 titles
 * she had 84 after the open era came to be
 * she was ranked number 1 in the world in 1966, 1967, 1968, 1971, 1972, and 1974
 * her dad was a fireman
 * she attended California State University, Los Angeles