Billie Jean King sends touching message to wife Ilana Kloss on her 69th birthday

Billie Jean King, the 12-time Major singles champion, has shared an emotional message on the 69th birthday of her wife and lifelong partner, Ilana Kloss. The couple met in 1966 when Kloss served as a ballgirl at one of King's matches, but they didn't get together until 20 years later.

It was only after King divorced Larry King in 1987, that their relationship blossomed. They married in 2018 in a private ceremony, attended by only three people. Kloss now serves as the CEO of Billie Jean King Enterprises and co-founded the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative, an organization that seeks equal human rights for marginalized people in society.

King took to her Instagram account to share an endearing message with Kloss, celebrating their marriage and Kloss's 69th birthday. She posted:

"Happy birthday, Ilana. Each day spent with you is a gift. I'm so grateful for the adventure, laughter, and love you bring to this life we've created together."

It was only after the 2015 Supreme Court ruling, legalizing same-sex marriage, that the pair agreed to tie the knot. They took the step after Elton John and David Furnish came out and announced their love.

Billie Jean King was a legend of women's tennis, making history in the 60s and 70s

Billie Jean King - Source: Getty

In addition to her 12 Major singles wins, Billie Jean King won 27 other Majors in doubles and mixed doubles. As a member of the US team, she took home seven Federation Cups and nine Wightman Cups. Her six Wimbledon titles across the 1960s and 1970s have only been bettered by Martina Navratilova's nine, and Steffi Graf's and Serena Williams's seven in the Open Era.

It is often forgotten that Ilana Kloss was a high-quality player herself. In 1976, she was the World's No. 1 doubles player, who won the US Open doubles and the French Open mixed doubles titles that year. In 2020, Kloss wrote about her first encounter with King on the WTA's website, as reported by PEOPLE magazine:

“We'd all fight to ballgirl for her — especially at the net where we'd get more work. It's the first memory I have of seeing a female athlete live — we didn't have TV and any tennis that wasn't local we would have listened to on the radio — and she brought this amazing energy, focus, and sense of the theatre to the court."

Now 81, King has graced professional tennis for more than 60 years. She remains an icon of the sport and is still seen regularly in tournaments.