Billie Jean King makes history as the first individual athlete to be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal

Billie Jean King continues to make history.

The 80-year-old will be the first individual athlete to be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.

King was previously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by former President Obama in 2009 for her commitment to women and the LGBTQ community.

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King joins a rare class of athletes honored with the Congressional Gold Medal.

The medal is awarded by Congress for outstanding achievements and contributions to society. The medal has previously been awarded to Jackie Robinson, Roberto Clemente, Jack Nicklaus, Byron Nelson and Arnold Palmer.

Law for the award was passed in September 2023 to mark the 50th anniversary of King’s victory over Bobby Riggs in the Battle of the Sexes. The bill passed unanimously in the Senate.

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1973, TENNIS STAR BILLIE JEAN KING WON “BATTLE OF THE GENDER” IN HOUSTON

President Biden signed the law on Thursday.

King campaigned tirelessly for equal pay in tennis. Their efforts led to the 1973 US Open becoming the first Grand Slam tournament where men and women received equal prize money.

In 2014, she founded the Billie Jean King Foundation, a nonprofit organization that creates an equitable future through sports, education and activism.

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King was dominant, winning 39 Grand Slam titles, 12 singles titles, 16 women’s doubles titles and 11 mixed doubles titles. In 1987 she was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

King is also the first woman to have a major sports venue named after her. In 2006, the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York, site of the US Open, was renamed the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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