Trailblazing tennis icon and social justice advocate, Billie Jean King, has added another feather to her illustrious cap by receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
The 81-year-old legend becomes the first woman recognized under the newly created sports entertainment category.
King’s star, the 2,807th on the famed boulevard, commemorates her legacy not only as one of the sport’s all-time greats—winning 39 Grand Slam titles—but also as a relentless champion for gender equality.
Her historic victory in the 1973 “Battle of the Sexes” against Bobby Riggs remains a defining moment in the fight for equality in sports.
Speaking at the ceremony, King reflected on the honor: “The important thing is, I don’t want to be the last one. My family loved music and movies. My mother would have loved this.”
In addition to her storied career on the court, King’s impact has stretched far beyond tennis. She founded the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and has been a beacon of advocacy for social justice throughout her life.
Her name adorns the Billie Jean King Cup—renamed in 2020 as a tribute to her monumental influence in the sport.
