Billie Jean King receives historic star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

Tennis legend, equality advocate and Hologic WTA Tour co-founder Billie Jean King has been honored with a historic star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which was officially unveiled this week.

King is the first woman to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the new sports entertainment category, added in 2023 to acknowledge contributions of athletes to the entertainment industry. Her star was officially unveiled on Monday — the 2,807th in total in the collection, and location near the intersection of Hollywood and Vine — with Olympic basketball champion Magic Johnson and Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis helping to unveil the iconic tile.

“You always fight for what’s right,” Johnson told King during the ceremony, held near the Pantages Theatre. “You lend your platform and your voice and your time and your money to bring about change.”

“Billie Jean King’s contribution is power,” Curtis added. “She’s power on the courts, she’s power in the courts, she’s power in the press, power in her public advocacy, power in her fight for freedom, power to be who she is now.”

Five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova and King’s peers Rosie Casals and Julie Anthony also attended the ceremony.

The honor is the another recent historic “first” for the 81-year-old trailblazer; last September, she was the first individual female athlete awarded a Congressional Gold Medal — the highest honor presented by the U.S. Congress — for her “courageous and groundbreaking leadership in advancing equal rights for women in athletics, education, and society.”

“Words cannot express how honored and grateful I am to receive this star,” wrote King on social media. “I may be the first woman to be awarded a star in this category, but I’m certainly not going to be the last.”

King inclusion came days ahead of next round of the international women’s team tennis competition which bears her name: the Billie Jean King Cup Qualifiers, which get underway later this week as countries compete for a spot in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals later this year.