In the world of professional tennis, Billie Jean King is a superstar. Known for her tenacity on and off the court, she’s a 39-time Grand Slam champion who’s been smashing glass ceilings and challenging the status quo for over half a century.
And no, not the kind of challenging her colleague John McEnroe is known for.
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BillieJeanKing’slegacyisgreaterthantennis.BeyondherworldNo.1rankingandwhopping129singlestitles,she’satrailblazerwhorefusedtostaysilentinthefaceoframpantdiscrimination.Fornearly50years,she’sfoughtrelentlesslyforgenderequalityandLGBTQ+rightsinasportthatwas—andstillis—widelyconsideredtobea“boysclub.”It’sfittinginrecognitionofhergroundbreakingcontributionstotennisandsocialjustice,thatBillieJeanKingwillreceiveastarontheHollywoodWalkofFameonMonday,April7thintheSportsEntertainmentcategory,becomingthefirstwomantoreceivethathonor.
BattleofthesexesLet’stalknumbersforasecond:39GrandSlamtitles.Six-timeworld#1ranking.TwentyWimbledonchampionships.ButforBillieJeanKing,theseachievementsar