Billie Jean King

With her tireless crusade for women’s equality in sports, Billie Jean King greatly leveled the playing field. She launched many organizations for women athletes including a sports magazine, a sports foundation and a professional women’s tour. Her numerous accomplishments include six Wimbledon singles championship wins. However, the turning point in her life and women’s sports was when she accepted a challenge to play against one-time Wimbledon champion Bobby Riggs. In 1973 at the Houston Astrodome, the 29-year-old King defeated 55-year-old Riggs in straight sets in what became known as the “Battle of the Sexes.”