Billie Jean King New York City and Chicago with Kloss, her life partner. 18 finals (12 titles, 6 runner-ups) Singles Billie Jean King Billie Jean King ("née" Moffitt; born November 22, 1943) is an American former World No. 1 professional tennis player. King won 39 Grand Slam titles: 12 in singles, 16 in women's doubles, and 11 in mixed doubles. She won the singles title at the inaugural WTA Tour Championships. She often represented the United States in the Federation Cup and the Wightman Cup. She was a member of the victorious United States team in seven Federation Cups and nine Wightman Cups.
Billie Jean King facilities has subsequently been named the Billie Jean Moffitt King Tennis Center. As a kid playing in her first tennis tournaments, she was often hindered by her aggressive playing style. Bob Martin, sportswriter for the Long Beach, "Press-Telegram" wrote about her success in a weekly tennis column. She attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School. After graduating, she attended California State University, Los Angeles (Cal State LA). She did not graduate, leaving school in 1964 to focus on tennis. While attending Cal State, she met Larry King in a library. The pair became engaged while still in school when Billie Jean