Billie Jean King Set to Make History with Congressional Gold Medal

WASHINGTON — Billie Jean King becomes the first individual female athlete to receive the Congressional Gold Medal.

Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey announced Tuesday that their bipartisan legislation had passed the House of Representatives and would be sent to President Joe Biden for his signature.

The bill honoring King, a tennis Hall of Famer and activist, had already passed unanimously in the Senate.

Sherrill, a Democrat, said in a statement that King’s “lifelong commitment and hard work has changed the landscape for women and girls in the court, in the classroom, and in the workplace.”

The bill was introduced in September 2023, on the 50th anniversary of King’s victory over Bobby Riggs in the “Battle of the Sexes,” still the most-watched tennis match of all time. The medal, which is awarded by Congress for distinguished achievement and contributions to society, has previously been given to athletes including baseball players Jackie Robinson and Roberto Clemente and golfers Jack Nicklaus, Byron Nelson and Arnold Palmer.

King had already received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009. Fitzpatrick, a Republican, said she “broke barriers, blazed uncharted paths, and inspired countless people to stand proudly with courage and conviction in the fight for what is right.”