Billie Jean King to Become First Female Athlete to Receive Congressional Gold Medal

Billie Jean King is set to become the first-ever female athlete to receive the Congressional Gold Medal after the House passed a bill to honor the tennis legend and advocate.

Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) said Tuesday that their bipartisan legislation to award King had cleared the House of Representatives after previously passing through the Senate. The bill now just awaits President Joe Biden’s signature, the Associated Press reports.

Rep. Sherrill said in a statement Tuesday, “Billie Jean King’s lifetime of advocacy and hard work changed the landscape for women and girls on the court, in the classroom, and the workplace. That’s why it has been an absolute honor to help lead the bipartisan effort to add another ‘first’ to Billie Jean’s résumé of trailblazing accomplishments.”

Fitzpatrick added, “With this bill getting signed into law, we are cementing Billie Jean’s legacy as both a champion of tennis and equality whose impact will continue to inspire and empower future generations.”

“An honor and a privilege. Thank you,” King wrote on social media after the bill passed the House.

King, who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009, will become the first female athlete to receive the Congressional Gold Model, the highest civilian honor; other athletes who received the award include baseball players Jackie Robinson and Roberto Clemente and golfers Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus.

The bill to honor King with the Congressional Gold Medal was introduced in September 2023 on the 50th anniversary of the famed “Battle of the Sexes” match between King and male tennis player Bobby Riggs, which King won in 1973.