Billie Jean King named Tournament of Roses grand marshal

Field Level Media|published: Mon 7th October, 17:57 2024

Jun 13, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Billie Jean King attends the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Tennis legend Billie Jean King was named grand marshal of the 2025 Tournament of Roses and will be celebrated during the 136th Rose Parade on Jan. 1, while participating in pregame ceremonies during the 111th Rose Bowl Game at Pasadena, Calif.

King, 80, earned 12 grand slam singles titles from 1966-75, including six Wimbledon titles and four U.S. Open championships. She has 39 grand slam titles in total, counting victories in doubles and mixed doubles.

King grew up in Long Beach, Calif., attended Cal State Los Angeles and went on to win 129 career tennis titles, including 67 during the open era. A pioneer in gender equality and women's rights, King defeated Bobby Riggs during a "Battle of the Sexes" match in 1973.

Past Tournament of Roses grand marshals from the sports world have included Arnold Palmer (1965), Hank Aaron (1975), Merlin Olsen (1983), Pele (1987), Chi-Chi Rodriguez (1995), Vin Scully (2014) and Greg Louganis, Janet Evans and Allyson Felix, all in 2017.

"The Rose Bowl stands in history, not just for college football, but it also for me, personally," King said Monday. "It will always be significant as the host site of the 1999 World Cup of women's soccer.

"That game which had more than 90,000 people in the stadium was a historic moment for all sports, but especially women's sports, because everyone said nobody's going to show up. And they had over 90,000 people."

King has remained active in sports, joining the ownership groups of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Angel City FC in the NWSL.

--Field Level Media