Billie Jean King Becomes First Woman Athlete to Receive Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

The legendary tennis star is known for being the first woman to do a lot of things, and now receiving her star is an addition to that ever-growing list.

Billie Jean King poses with her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. / Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Billie Jean King made history, once again, on Monday by becoming the first woman athlete to earn a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the new sports entertainment category.

NFL Hall of Famer Michael Strahan and the late actor and former NFL player Carl Weathers are the other two stars to land on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in this category.

The legendary tennis star had a ceremony on Monday with friends Magic Johnson and Jamie Lee Curtis giving speeches about her incredible life. While the 39-time tennis winner is most known for her work to get equal prize money in the sport and campaign for women's rights in sports (the Battle of the Sexes, for example), King has remained an influential figure in the sports world as she has invested in multiple sports teams (Angel City FC, Los Angeles Sparks and Los Angeles Dodgers) and even hosts the Billie Jean King Cup tennis tournament.

King is known for being the first woman to do a lot of things, and now receiving her star is an addition to that ever-growing list.

"I may be the first woman to be awarded a star in this category, but l'm certainly not going to be the last," King wrote in a social media post.

Today, I became the first woman to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the Sports Entertainment category.

Words cannot express how honored and grateful l am to receive this star.

I have so many people to thank, including the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce,… pic.twitter.com/dT1ngqKH7m

— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) April 8, 2025

Many important people in King's life showed up for her ceremony on Monday. Former tennis stars Rosie Casals, Julie Anthony and Maria Sharapova were there, along with the current U.S. Open tournament director Stacey Allaster. Los Angeles Lakers owner Jeanie Buss was also there, along with rapper Flavor Flav and race-car driver Katherine Legge.

It's clear King has made a giant impact on women and sports in her lifetime, and she will continue to be an idol for many generations to come.

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