Billie Jean King at 82: The Tennis Legend Opens Up About Coming Out and Her Biggest Regret

Billie Jean King says gratitude remains part of her daily routine. The former world No. 1 tells The Guardian that she mentally names the people who have helped make her life fulfilling, including her wife, former tennis player Ilana Kloss, her nephew and Susan Williams, a school friend who first introduced her to tennis when they were children in Long Beach, California. King recalls that Williams described the sport as a chance to run, jump and hit a ball. The young King was immediately taken with it and soon told her parents she intended to become the best player in the world. She went on to win 39 Grand Slam titles across singles, doubles and mixed doubles, and claimed 20 Wimbledon championships across the different formats. Her impact extended far beyond the court. King helped lead the campaign for equal prize money and was central to the formation of a professional women’s tennis tour. In 1970, she and eight other players founded what became known as the Original 9, each signing a symbolic one-dollar contract in protest against unequal pay. The new documentary Give Me the Ball! revisits that struggle and the players who helped reshape the sport. The film also looks at 1973, when King defeated Bobby Riggs in the widely watched Battle of the Sexes exhibition match. King describes that year as pivotal for women’s tennis, but says she was struggling emotionally at the time. She was wrestling with her sexuality, which she now identifies openly as lesbian, while her marriage to lawyer and sports promoter Larry King was becoming strained. At 82, King remains energetic and competitive, the interview reports. She also recently graduated from college, an achievement that sits alongside a career defined by sporting success and sustained advocacy. The conversation presents a woman reflecting on both the public victories and the private challenges that accompanied them.