Tennis legend graduates from university after 65 years: "A dream delayed by sports, achieved at age 82"

*This content was translated by AI.

Billie Jean King (82, U.S.), the "living legend" of tennis known for her 39 major titles, has finally embraced the university diploma she had long dreamed of, 65 years after first enrolling.

U.S. People.com reported on the 19th (Korean time) that "sports icon Billie Jean King received a bachelor's degree in history from California State University long after leaving school to focus on her tennis career."

King first enrolled at the university in 1961 but dropped out three years later to focus on her tennis career. However, even after a successful playing career, she never gave up on her dream of education. Eventually, she returned to the classroom and finally embraced her graduation diploma. Earlier, King had announced her intention to return to school to complete her unfinished studies from 2024. She has now accomplished that.

Taking the stage to deliver a speech, King told the graduates, "It took more than 60 years for me to return to the classroom to complete my degree in history. I had something I couldn't finish. It was important for me to finish what I started. I like to complete things. It's like shaking hands at the net after a match."

King also posted a photo on her social media wearing a graduation gown and cap, writing a message with the lesson: "It is never too late to finish what you started."

King is a "tennis legend" who has won 39 major titles. She has claimed the singles title at Grand Slam tournaments 12 times. Her victories include six Wimbledon titles (1966, 1967, 1968, 1972, 1973, 1975), one Australian Open (1968), one French Open (1972), and four U.S. Opens (1967, 1971, 1972, 1974). She also won 16 doubles titles and 11 mixed doubles titles.

Her playing days were not easy. Through her speech, King recalled, "In 1961, there was no financial support for female players. At that time, my friends Arthur Ashe and Stan Smith were male scholarship athletes. Today, a Wimbledon doubles victory is worth nearly $500,000 (about 760 million won). But back then, I think we received gift certificates worth about $45 (around 70,000 won) that could be used at local stores."

Despite numerous difficulties, King grew into a world-class player. In particular, in 1973, she won the so-called "Battle of the Sexes" against male player Bobby Riggs, drawing global attention.

King's influence extended beyond the court. She spoke out for more prize money and opportunities for female tennis players, laying the groundwork for the expansion of women's sports rights. Today, a statue of King stands outside the building of the university's Department of Physical Education.

Even after leaving behind numerous achievements, a sense of regret about graduation lingered in King's heart. King said, "When someone told me, 'You graduated,' I would often reply, 'Never say I graduated. I haven't gotten it yet.' But as I came here today, I thought for the first time, 'Now I can tell people that I have graduated.'"

She also reflected on how the learning environment has changed over more than 60 years. King said, "Classes have become much more online-focused now. In the past, you had to be physically present in the classroom. I wasn't always present, but I loved talking with professors and I loved learning."

Finally, King concluded her speech by shouting in Spanish, "¡Sí se puede!" which means "Yes, we can!" The graduates responded with warm applause and cheers.

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*This content was translated by AI.