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Billie Jean King shared a heartfelt message for her spouse Ilana Kloss on her birthday. The former World No. 1 has been with her partner Kloss for over 42 years now.
Billie Jean King was the first prominent female athlete to come out publicly as gay in 1981. She was outed by her former girlfriend Marilyn Barnett, who filed a suit against the Kings; while Billie Jean was still married to Larry King.
She eventually fell in love with her doubles partner Kloss and divorced Larry King in 1987. Before they secretly tied the knot in 2018, the two women labeled each other as 'life partners' and wore each other's rings.
Billie Jean King took to Twitter to post a special wish for Ilana, stating that she was grateful for their life together.
"Happy birthday to my love, Ilana. Life with you is a gift, and I am so grateful." she wrote.
King was also a major catalyst for the formation of the Women's Tennis Association in 1973 and became its first president. She is also the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her advocacy of LGBTQ+ rights and rights of women in sports.
The 79-year-old is quite active on social media, regularly sharing her thoughts and comments on the current WTA and ATP tours. Billie Jean still retains all the fire that drove her to change the sport for women.
“Current stars now living our dream” - Billie Jean King opens up on creating the WTA
Billie Jean King has revealed that forming the WTA was a really scary experience but she kept thinking about the future. She added that the current WTA stars live the dream of the original women who created the WTA.
"It was a nightmare. It was really scary. I was really scared. But I kept thinking about the future. It's clear now that they're living our dream if you know the history," she said.
The 79-year-old has worked tirelessly throughout her life to promote women athletes and get equal rights for women in tennis. She pioneered the formation of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and served as its first president.
"When we dreamed about a tour and equal prize money, we were thinking it would take a long time," King said.
King gathered over 60 women at the Gloucester Hotel in London to form the WTA in 1973. June 2023 will mark the 50th anniversary of the association.
