Shohei Ohtani meets tennis legend Billie Jean King and her wife during Dodgers Spring Training

LA Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani continues to make waves both on and off the field. His popularity and closeness with other sports figures have grown over the past few years, especially since his arrival at Chavez Ravine after he signed a whopping $700 million deal with the Dodgers.

On Monday, tennis legends Billie Jean King and her wife Ilana Kloss were present at the Dodgers Spring Training facility in Glendale, Arizona. There, they met Ohtani, who posed with them for a picture outside the Camelback Ranch.

The Dodgers' social media captured the moment and Ohtani also shared it on his Instagram story.

Ohtani's Instagram story

Billie Jean King, who has a net worth of $20 million (per Celebrity Net Worth), was in a relationship with former tennis player Ilana Kloss for over 40 years before they secretly got married in 2018.

The couple is the minority owner of the LA Dodgers. One of the reasons why associated with the franchise was for its inclusivity and equality. King has won 39 Grand Slam titles, including 12 in singles and 27 in doubles.

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Billie Jean King's emotional connection to Shohei Ohtani's No. 17 jersey number

When the Dodgers signed Shohei Ohtani to a franchise record contract in Dec. 2023, Billie Jean King was awaiting the arrival of No. 17 (the jersey number Ohtani wears) at the Dodger Stadium where the introductory conference was held.

King took to X and shared her emotional bond with No. 17.

"At 3pm PST today, the @Dodgers will welcome #17 Shohei Ohtani," King wrote. "#17 has always been a special number for me. It was the number my brother Randy wore when he played professional baseball. It's going to be a terrific season. 💙 "

King's younger brother Randy Moffitt played as a reliever in MLB from 1972 to 1983, playing for the San Francisco Giants, Houston Astros and Toronto Blue Jays. He registered a career ERA of 3.65 over 12 years.