Billie Jean King keeps making history.
The 80-year-old will become the first individual female athlete to be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.
King had already been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009 by former President Obama for her advocacy work on behalf of women and the LGBTQ community.
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Billie Jean King attends the 2024 New York #LWTSUMMIT Sept. 19, 2024, in New York City. (Bonnie Biess/Getty Images for Lesbians Who Tech & Allies)
King joins a rare class of athletes who have been awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.
The medal is awarded by Congress for distinguished achievements and contributions to society. The medal has been previously given to Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente, Jack Nicklaus, Byron Nelson and Arnold Palmer.
Legislation for the award passed in September 2023 on the 50th anniversary of King’s victory over Bobby Riggs in the “Battle of the Sexes.” The bill passed unanimously in the Senate.
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1973, TENNIS STAR BILLIE JEAN KING WINS ‘BATTLE OF THE SEXES’ IN HOUSTON
(L-R) Jessica Pegula of the United States, former professional tennis player Billie Jean King and Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus pose for a photo after the women’s singles final match of the 2024 U.S. Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Sept. 7, 2024, in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
President Biden signed the legislation into law Thursday.
King relentlessly advocated for equal pay in tennis. Her efforts led to the U.S. Open becoming the first Grand Slam tournament to offer men and women equal prize money in 1973.
In 2014, she founded the Billie Jean King Foundation, a nonprofit creating an equitable future through sports, education and activism.
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Billie Jean King waves to the crowd at the 2024 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Sept. 5, 2024, in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
King was dominant, winning 39 Grand Slam titles, 12 singles titles, 16 titles in women’s doubles and 11 titles in mixed doubles. She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1987.
King is also the first woman to have a major sports venue named in her honor. In 2006, the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York, home of the U.S. Open, was rededicated as the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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