Pioneering Athlete and Activist Billie Jean King Writes a Memoir Detailing Her Life and Work

Billie Jean King's autobiography ALL IN: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY marks the first time King has told her story in full, detailing how her private journey to be what she calls her “authentic self” played out alongside her groundbreaking activism and career in tennis—that included seven years as the top-ranked woman in the world, a record twenty Wimbledon championships, thirty-nine Grand Slam titles, and her watershed victory over Bobby Riggs in the famous “Battle of the Sexes.” King writes about her unwavering ongoing commitment to equality and social justice. As King notes, many of the issues she and others fought for decades ago are being revisited today.

“Early on, what was most apparent to me was that the world I wanted didn’t exist yet,” King writes. “It would be up to my generation to create it.” Beginning with her working-class childhood in Long Beach, California, and moving across the country and around the globe, King describes her love of the sport, her commitment to excellence, and her determination to be the No. 1 player in the world. She details her fight for equality in tennis, leading to the establishment of the first all-women’s pro tour in 1971, persuading the US Open to become in 1973 the first major tournament to award equal prize money to men and women. King also founded the Women's Tennis Association, the Women's Sports Foundation, and cofounded World TeamTennis. King faced endless challenges along the way—entrenched sexism, an eating disorder, near financial ruin after being outed—and she shares how she became comfortable in her own skin at the age of fifty-one. She covers her participation in the rising women's movement, Title IX, the assassinations and antiwar protests of the 1960s, the civil rights movement, and, also, the LGBTQ+ rights movement and the impact these had on her life and her advocacy work. King’s life today remains one of service, and in ALL IN she draws on her frontline experiences to offer contemporized insights on leadership, business, activism, sports, politics, marriage equality, parenting, sexuality, and love.

Billie Jean King is the first female athlete to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and she was named one of Life magazine’s “100 Most Important Americans of the 20th Century.” She is the founder of the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative, the Women's Tennis Association, and the Women's Sports Foundation, and she cofounded World TeamTennis.

Tennis Legend and Social Activist Billie Jean King is named to Sports Illustrated Unrelenting List

Sports Illustrated has recognized BILLIE JEAN KING on their Unrelenting List of the most powerful, most influential and most outstanding women in sports right now—the game-changers who are speaking out, setting the bar and making a difference. Here is what they said of King:

"A true icon and one of the most renowned tennis players in history, King has dedicated her life to fighting for change and equality, using her on-court skills to garner respect and recognition for female athletes and her activism to help pass Title IX and secure opportunities for the women in sports today. King is the first female athlete to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom; the first woman to have a namesake major sporting venue, the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York; and, most recently, the International Tennis Federation reamed its annual team competition the “Billie Jean King Cup” in her honor."

In the years since and at age 76, King has not ceased her social change efforts but intensified them, continuing to fight for equal pay in sports, leading the work of the Women's Sports Foundation and serving as a mentor and role model for the next generation of women determined to create change.

Virtual Programming: Billie Jean King on leadership and resiliency during challenging times 

As one of the 20th century's most respected and influential people, Billie Jean King is a leader in and beyond the world of sports, who provides empowering and actionable lessons on leadership, equality, and finding your purpose, even in the most challenging of circumstances. Amid the coronavirus, King has been sought-out for multiple, creative virtual programs from major company conferences to non-profit galas, providing bold inspiration and keen insight into resiliency, finding creative outlets as we all adjust to social distancing, and the kind of leadership the world needs most right now. She's engaged in a virtual fireside chat at the Salesforce World Tour event on responsible and inclusive leadership, which was livestreamed to over 7,000 people; hosted a special live event dubbed #WeKeepPlaying in an effort to engage and inspire young athletes during the stress and isolation of the pandemic; led a History at Home lesson for the History Channel; and much more. Named one of the "100 Most Important Americans of the 20th Century" by Life and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, King moves virtual audiences with her candor and passion.