Today in Sports History: September 20

In 1973, former professional tennis player Billie Jean King beat former professional tennis player Bobby Riggs in the battle-of-sexes tennis match. 

King played professional tennis from 1960 until 1983. She won 39 Major Champion titles and was a 26-time Finalist. She had an overall career win percentage of 80%. She had 168 Open Era titles with an overall record of 782 wins and 192 losses. Her singles record was 695 wins and 155 losses with her doubles record being 87 wins and 37 losses. 

In 1966, she beat former professional player Maria Bueno, in the Women’s Wimbledon tournament, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1. This win was the first of King’s 12-career Grand Slam singles titles. 

She was a member of the United States Federation Cup Team in 1963-1967, 1976-1979, and a member of the United States Championship Federation Cup Team in 1963, 1966-1967, and 1976-1979. 

She was also named the captain of the United States Federation Cup Team in 1965, 1976, 1995-1996, and 1998-2003, and the United States Championship Federation Cup Team in 1976, 1996, 1999, and 2000. The team’s overall record was 52 wins and 4 losses with the singles record of 26 wins and 3 losses and the doubles record of 26 wins and 1 loss. 

King was also a member of the United States Wightman Cup Team and the United States Championship Wightman Cup Team from 1961-1967 and in 1970. 

King was ranked the World No. 1 in 1966-1968, 1971, 1972, and 1974. She had a record of 20 championships at Wimbledon. She won 6 singles titles, 10 doubles titles, and 4 mixed doubles titles. 

She won one singles title and one mixed doubles title for the Australian Open. She also won one singles title, one doubles title, and two mixed doubles titles for the French Open. Lastly, she won 4 singles titles, 5 doubles titles, and 4 mixed doubles titles for the US Open.