Billie jean King Born in 1943 in Long Beach, California, Billie Jean King had an incredible career as a Tennis player. One of her historic matches is the one in which she teamed with Martina Navratilova in 1979 to win the Wimbledon doubles title and break the record for most career wins at Wimbledon (which later added up to 20). Billie Jean King ranked No. 1 in the world five times between 1966-72; ranked in the top ten in the world a total of 17 years; ranked No. 1 in the United States seven ti mes; ranked in the U.S. top ten for a total of 18 years; and, ranked first on the U.S. doubles list for a record 12 years. Her many records include 20 Wimbledon titles (in singles, doubles and mixed doubles, between 1961 and 1979); most total wins in Federation Cup play including 27 consecutive doubles matches; she played against Bobby Riggs at the Houston Astrodome, in "Battle of the Sexes " Match, in front of 30,472, the largest number of people to ever see a single tennis match (September 20, 1973); played in the longest set ever in women's singles (36 games) in 6-4, 19-17 defeat of Christine Truman, of England (Wightman Cup, Cleveland, Ohio, Skating Club, 1963). King who totalled 695 singles victories, is one of just eight women to hold singles title in each of the Grand Slam events and the only woman to win U.S. singles titles on four surfaces (grass, clay, carpet, hard courts). Among her other `firsts', are: first female athlete in any sport to earn more than $100,000 in a single season of competition ($117,000, in 1971); first woman to coach a co-ed team in professional sports (Philadelphia Freedoms, World Team Tennis, 1974); first woman commissioner in professional sports history (TeamTennis, 1984). Billie Jean King has served in numerous associations and charities, and was President of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), 1973-75 and 1980-81, which she founded in 1973; she is a member of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network Board of Directors; and also served as National Ambassador for AIM, a charity for handicapped children; member of the Board of Directors for National AIDS Fund, for the Elton John AIDS Foundation, for the International Tennis Hall of Fame, and for the USTA's Player Development Committee; and was coach of the 1995, `96 and `98 U.S. Fed Cup Team, and of the 1996 U.S. Olympic Women ' s Tennis Team. She also founded many tennis and sports related associations, including the World Team Tennis Professional League (1981) and Recreational League (1985). In 1998 she founded the Billie Jean King Foundation. Apart from doing tennis commentary for HBO, USA, CTV, ABC, CBS and NBC, Billie Jean King is also an author and her books include: Tennis To Win (with Chapin, Harper, 1970); Billie Jean (with Kim Chapin, Harper, 1974); Tennis Love: A Parent's Guide To The Sport (with Greg Hoffman, Macmillan, 1978); Billie Jean (with Frank Deford, Viking, 1982); We Have Come A Long Way: The History of Women 's Tennis (with Cynthia Starr, McGraw-Hill, 1988). Currently, Billie Jean King is Director and Official Spokesperson for World TeamTennis which has attracted more than 400,000 participants to its recreational leagues and featured eight teams in the 1997 World Team Tennis Professional season. In a 1990 issue of Life Magazine, she was named one of the 100 Most Important Americans of the 20th Century. Billie Jean has devoted her life to creating opportunities in the sport of tennis and has been involved in every aspect of the game including: athlete, promoter, businesswoman and coach.