Billie Jean King, at 82, Finally Earns Her College Degree
Tennis icon completes degree 65 years after starting at Cal State LA, proving it's never too late.
Billie Jean King walked across the stage at California State University, Los Angeles, this week to accept a diploma—65 years after she first enrolled. The tennis legend, now 82, finished her degree in May 2026, making good on an education interrupted by her historic sports career.
King's path to college completion is emblematic of her generation and her era. She started at Cal State LA as a young woman but left to pursue tennis professionally during a window when the sport was finally beginning to pay women. Her career—24 Grand Slam singles titles, the 1973 Battle of the Sexes match, a lifetime of advocacy for gender equality in sports—took precedence over finishing a degree.
What makes this moment resonate beyond sports is the reminder that education is a lifetime undertaking. King didn't return to finish because she suddenly needed a credential for a job. She returned because it mattered to her—unfinished business that had quietly nagged at her for decades. At 82, with a legacy already cemented, she closed the loop.
For Canadians watching, there's a lesson here about lifelong learning and second chances. King's example—that a degree completed late is still a degree completed—might inspire others who stepped away from education in their youth. It's not a common path, but it's a powerful one.