Billie Jean King

Insights

44 Slam appearances split across three distinct career blocks

King’s Grand Slam career spans 44 tournaments, with results recorded in 1962-1975, 1977-1980, and 1982-1983. That structure shows two interruptions in the timeline, yet she still accumulated 255 matches and a 223-32 record.

Her peak was sustained across both eras, not confined to one

The data lists 8 Open Era titles and 4 Amateur Era titles, plus 4 Open Era finals and 2 Amateur Era finals. She also reached at least the semifinal stage five times in the Open Era and three times in the Amateur Era.

Wimbledon was the clearest anchor of her career

Wimbledon appears in nearly every phase of the record: champion in 1966, 1968, 1972, 1973, and 1975; finalist in 1963, 1969, and 1970; semifinalist in 1964, 1965, 1971, 1982, and 1983. No other tournament shows that many deep runs.

Her late-career level remained unusually high into her late 30s

At ages 35 to 40, she still reached the US Open semifinal in 1979, Wimbledon quarterfinals in 1978, 1979, 1980, and 1982, and the Wimbledon semifinal again in 1982 and 1983. Even at 40, she was still in the Australian Open round of 32.

She won majors in both the Amateur and Open eras before age 30

Her Amateur Era titles came at age 22 in 1966, age 23 in 1967, and age 24 in 1968. In the Open Era, she added titles at ages 24, 27, 28, 29, 30, and 31, showing a long championship window rather than a brief peak.