Maria Sharapova joins the celebration as Billie Jean King receives historic Hollywood honor at the Pantages Theater

On Monday, April 7, Maria Sharapova celebrated Billie Jean King being honored at the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The five-time Grand Slam winner shared glimpses of her visit to the Hollywood Pantages Theater in Los Angeles, California. Sharapova's social media update captured King alongside her friend and former basketball star Magic Johnson.

Tennis legend Billie Jean King became the first woman to receive a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame's sports entertainment category. The ceremony took place on April 7 at 6284 Hollywood Boulevard, near the Pantages Theater.

Notable attendees included Magic Johnson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Maria Sharapova, and King's wife, Ilana Kloss.

During her visit to the Pantages Theater, Sharapova shared glimpses of the ceremony via her Instagram Story. On Monday, she posted a picture of the venue with the caption:

"Celebrating the one and only @billiejeanking," Sharapova captioned the image.

Maria Sharapova's Story - Via Instagram

In the second picture shared by Sharapova, King was seen sitting on a chair, facing the audience. Former basketball player Magic Johnson was also standing beside King while she addressed the crowd.

Billie Jean King at the Pantages Theater - Via Maria Sharapova's Instagram

This achievement came after King received the honor of serving as the grand marshal of the 136th Rose Parade in January this year.

Before hanging up her racket in 1983, Jean King clinched 12 Grand Slam singles titles and also defeated Bobby Riggs in the 'Battle of the Sexes', an iconic match in tennis history.

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Billie Jean King remembers her mother's love for Hollywood movies: "A trip to Hollywood was a special treat for our family"

Billie Jean King at the Celebrity Sightings In Los Angeles - April 7, 2025 - Source: Getty

Billie Jean King went down memory lane during the ceremony at the Pantages Theater. The 81-year-old recalled how her mother loved Hollywood movies and also regarded family movie outings as her favorite getaway. Talking about the same, King said (as quoted by Sportstar):

"My family loved music and movies. A trip to Hollywood, a movie at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, was a special treat for our family. My mother would have loved this," she said.

Recalling attending Holly Hunter's star ceremony back in 2008, King added:

“I remember thinking back then, ‘Oh man, this is really cool. This is unbelievable. Oh, I’m never going to get this.’ Here I am," she added.

With this honor, Jean King also became the first ever tennis player to be counted as a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.