Title ix

Los Angeles State College: More than sixty years after leaving college to pursue a professional tennis career, Billie Jean King finally walked across the graduation stage on Monday. The 82-year-old icon earned her bachelor’s degree in history from California State University, Los Angeles.

“It is never, ever, too late to finish what you have started,” Billie Jean posted on X.

For King, whose life and career reshaped women’s sports and LGBTQ+ rights in the United States, this moment was filled with significance. During her final semester, the tennis legend studied and wrote about movements she had personally helped lead, including Title IX and LGBTQ+ equality.