American No.1 professional tennis player, activist for gender equality and social justice.

Billie Jean King is one of the greatest tennis players of all time with 39 grand slam titles (12 singles, 16 women’s doubles, and 11 mixed doubles). She won an exhibition match, dubbed “The Battle of the Sexes” against Bobby Riggs in 1973 which helped garner more respect for women’s tennis. King helped get equal pay for women in tennis by threatening to boycott the US Open in 1973. She co-founded the league, World Team Tennis, putting on events around the world. King is involved in the Women’s Sports Foundation and the Elton John AIDS Foundation. King received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama in 2009.