- Her fame heavily increased after her "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match and win against darer Bobby Riggs on September 20, 1973, in Houston, Texas.
- First woman athlete to earn more than $100,000.
- In 1981, she admitted her bisexuality amid a palimony suit brought by former lover Marilyn Barnett (King won the suit).
- First woman commissioner in professional sports history.
- As a tennis player, she won 20 Wimbledon titles, 13 US Open titles, the French Open, the Australian Open and 29 Virginia Slims singles titles.
- Co-founder of World Team Tennis.
- Her brother Randy Moffitt was a major league pitcher (1972-1983).
- She helped establish the Virginia Slims professional tennis tour for women in 1970.
- She is portrayed by Holly Hunter in When Billie Beat Bobby (2001) and by Emma Stone in Battle of the Sexes (2017).
- Shared Sports Illustrated magazine's "Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year" cover with basketball great John Wooden, becoming the first female athlete and tennis player to merit that honor (1972).
- She founded the Women's Tennis Association and the Women's Sports Foundation.
- The Elton John song "Philadelphia Freedom" was the name of her World Tennis team (1974-1978).
- Ranked the number one tennis player seven times between 1966 and 1974.
- Inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 1990.
- Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year 1967 & 1973
- She became the chief executive officer of Teamtennis (1989).
- She had an abortion in 1971.
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