Philippines, 19 Jul 2025
  Home >> News

 


BOXERS

CURRENT CHAMPIONS 

FORMER CHAMPIONS   

RATINGS                       

NEWS           

FORUM        

FIGHT GALLERIES        

RING CARD GIRLS        


 
 
News  


King is Queen of tennis


PhilBoxing.com



Billy Jean King.

Legendary tennis player Billie Jean King has been accorded with the Lifetime Achievement honor during BBC's Sports Personality of the Year awards night ceremony on Sunday in Birmingham.

The 75-year-old American, former No.1 and one of the greatest female tennis players of all time, had won 39 Grand Slam titles, 12 in singles during her playing career in the 60s and 70s.

King, an advocate for gender equality, not only in her sport, but in all sports as well, who in 1973 won the Battle of the Sexes match against Bobby Riggs.

She also founded the Women's Tennis Association (WTA).

"We all stand on the shoulders of those who came before us and we all have an opportunity to share our lives, our experiences and our vision for the future," King said in her acceptance speech.

"Each of us is an influencer, and to all the athletes who truly have a platform, let's continue to use the power of our voices and our actions to inspire others."

Other awardees are cyclist Geraint Thomas, Sports Personality of the Year for winning the Tour de France; England Netball team, Team of the Year, for winning the gold medal in the Commonwealth Games; Gareth Southgate, for guiding England to its firsts World Cup of Soccer semifinal round in 28 years;

Francisco Molinari, World Sports Star of the Year, for being instrumental in Europe?s Rydeer Cup glory in golf[EA1]; Kirsty Ewe, Unsung Hero, for overcoming mental health issues to inspire others to do the same and find a better place through swimming.

King turned professional in 1959 and gained global recognition two years later when she and Karen Hantze Susman became the youngest pair to win the women's doubles title at Wimbledon.

In 1966, she won her first major singles title, again at Wimbledon, and was crowned world number one for the first time - a ranking she held for five further years (1967-1968, 1971-1972 and 1974).

She retained her Wimbledon titles in both 1967 and 1968 - the years in which she also won her first US Open and Australian Open singles titles respectively.

All in all, King won a record 20 Wimbledon titles as well as 13 US Open, four French Open and two Australian Open crowns between 1961 and 1979. She collected three Grand Slam titles in one year in 1972.

She won 129 singles titles in all, 78 of which were WTA titles. In addition, she won seven Fed Cups as a player and four as the US team's captain.

King retired from professional tennis in 1983.

Off the court, King was a pioneer in campaigning for equal prize money in tennis, and in 1971 became the first female player to earn more than $100,000 in prize money.

However, when she won the US Open in 1972, she received $15,000 less than the men's champion and vowed not to return the following year unless the prize money was equal.

In 1973, the US Open became the first major tournament to offer equal prize money for men and women.

Her campaigning didn't end there, though, and throughout the 1970s - the height of her competitive years - she led player efforts to support the formation of the first professional women's tour and became the first president of the WTA.

In 1974, along with then-husband Larry King, she started the Women's Sports Foundation, which works to ensure all girls have access to sport.


Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.


Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:

  • Usyk Registers Career-Heaviest Weight as Dubois Looks Ready for Undisputed Rematch at Wembley
    , Sat, 19 Jul 2025
  • Rodriguez vs. Cafu Unification Clash Set for Frisco, Texas; All Fighters Make Weight
    By Dong Secuya, , Sat, 19 Jul 2025
  • LOPEZ VS. VARGAS WEIGHTS FROM PECHANGA RESORT CASINO
    , Sat, 19 Jul 2025
  • “Bambol” Tolentino in Las Vegas: Supporting Filipino Athletes and Pacquiao
    By Carlos Costa, , Fri, 18 Jul 2025
  • Unstoppable: Team Philippines Storms Into Davis Cup Finals After Qatar Sweep
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Fri, 18 Jul 2025
  • Blu Girls Stumble Against Taipei, Look to Regroup vs. Hong Kong
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Fri, 18 Jul 2025
  • Fighting for clean sweep
    By Joaquin Henson, , Fri, 18 Jul 2025
  • WBA No. 2 Heavyweight Contender Michael Hunter Is Ready to Take on World Champion Kubrat Pulev; All Systems Go for Purse Bid Winner Don King
    , Fri, 18 Jul 2025
  • Weights from Panama City; WBA Women's Interim Superfly Title at Stake
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Fri, 18 Jul 2025
  • Undefeated prospect Pryce Taylor Working hard to join Brooklyn’s Elite list of top heavyweight boxers
    , Fri, 18 Jul 2025
  • Justin Goossen-Brown Set to Make DAZN Broadcasting Debut This Friday at Boxlab Promotions’ Night of Champions in Orlando
    , Fri, 18 Jul 2025
  • Philippine Davis Cup Team Sweeps Kuwait to Stay Unbeaten in Group IV
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Fri, 18 Jul 2025
  • Pacquiao Promises Surprise Against Barrios
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Fri, 18 Jul 2025
  • PACQUIAO VS. BARRIOS UNDERCARD MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES
    , Fri, 18 Jul 2025
  • Rosaupan rules Pasay rapid chess championship
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Fri, 18 Jul 2025
  • Blu Girls Fall to China in Nail-Biter, Slip to 5–2 in Asia Cup
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Fri, 18 Jul 2025
  • The 19th Thousand Island Cup Philippine Xiangqi Open tournament on August 3
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Fri, 18 Jul 2025
  • Pacquiao’s Legacy in Motion: PacMan contra El Azteca
    By Emmanuel Rivera, RRT, , Thu, 17 Jul 2025
  • Blu Girls Crush Singapore 13-0, Set Sights on China in Asia Cup Showdown
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Thu, 17 Jul 2025
  • Laylo, Dableo to play in Baguio Open
    By Marlon Bernardino, , Thu, 17 Jul 2025
  • Pacquiao Shines in Final Press Conference: Can The Pacman Defeat Father Time and Barrios? (Analysis & Prediction)
    By Carlos Costa, , Thu, 17 Jul 2025
  • More lucrative fights await Manny Pacquiao
    By Leo Reyes, , Thu, 17 Jul 2025
  • Rumors about Pacquiao-Mayweather rematch
    By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Thu, 17 Jul 2025
  • Tapales, Laurente to help Inoue against MJ
    By Lito delos Reyes, , Thu, 17 Jul 2025
  • AL BERNSTEIN, CHRISTY MARTIN AND ERIC BOTTJER TO SERVE AS ALL-STAR COMMENTARY TEAM FOR THIS FRIDAY’S ‘LOPEZ VS. VARGAS’ EVENT
    , Thu, 17 Jul 2025




  •  



     
    PhilBoxing.com has been created to support every aspiring
    Filipino boxer and the Philippine boxing scene in general.
    Please send comments to feedback@philboxing.com


    PRIVATE POLICY | LEGAL DISCLAIMER
    developed and maintained by dong secuya
    © 2025 philboxing.com.