Billie Jean King, former champion and activist for women's rights, received her degree in history from California State University, Los Angeles

Billie Jean King, the former great tennis champion and gender equality activist, recently received her diploma in history from California State University, Los Angeles, 61 years after she left the institution to pursue her sports career.

In her speech at the ceremony, King joked, saying: "Yeah baby, just 61 years!" She chose the university in Los Angeles because of the coach who trained the men's and women's teams, a revolutionary approach at the time. At just 18 years old, King won the doubles title at Wimbledon, becoming the youngest pair to achieve this feat.

Throughout her career, she won 39 Grand Slam titles and was an influential figure in the fight for gender equality in sports. King founded the Women’s Tennis Association in 1973 and secured equal prize money for women and men at the US Open.

In her speech, she emphasized the importance of equality, inspired by her childhood experiences, and encouraged graduates to be brave and make history.