Considered by many to be the first power player in women’s tennis, she was elected to the International Tennis Hall of Fame 13 years after her assault.

King’s defeat of Riggs, who had provocatively opined about the inherent inferiority of women’s tennis, was a milestone for the women’s liberation movement.

Considered by many as the greatest female tennis player of all time, she made this decision at age 18 in order to save her career, which was threatened by policies of her communist home country.