Billie Jean King, the tennis legend and gender equality advocate, has graduated from California State University, Los Angeles at the age of 82, more than six decades after she left to pursue her professional tennis career. King received her bachelor's degree in history on Monday, telling the commencement crowd: 'Yeah baby, only 61 years!'
King first enrolled at the university, then known as Los Angeles State College, in the early 1960s. She left in 1964 to focus on tennis, soon becoming the world's top-ranked player. During her time as a student, she won the Wimbledon women's doubles title with partner Karen Hantze, becoming the youngest team to do so at the time.
In her commencement speech, King reflected on growing up in a working-class family as the daughter of a firefighter and a homemaker. She noted that she is the first in her immediate family to graduate from college, like many of her fellow graduates. King also credited her college tennis coaches, Scotty Deeds and Dr Joan Johnson, for their revolutionary approach of training men and women together, which she said helped her excel.
King, who turned 82 in November, has had a trailblazing career both on and off the court. She won 39 Grand Slam titles, founded the Women's Tennis Association in 1973, and successfully campaigned for equal prize money at the US Open. That same year, she defeated Bobby Riggs in the famous 'Battle of the Sexes' match. She has also been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal.
King told the audience that her true motivation has always been to fight discrimination, a commitment she first felt at age 12 when she noticed the lack of diversity at tennis clubs. 'From that day forward, I committed my life to equality and inclusion for all,' she said. 'Tennis is a global sport and it became my platform, but equality was my dream – to make the world a better place.'
