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Billie Jean King penned a heartfelt note for her wife Ilana Kloss on the latter's 68th birthday.
Kloss is a former tennis player who teamed up with Billie Jean King during her career. The South-African born won the women's doubles title at the 1976 US Open and the mixed doubles title at that year's French Open.
King and Kloss first crossed paths in 1966, shortly after King married attorney and real estate broker Larry King. Kloss served as King’s ballgirl, marking the beginning of a relationship that would span more than four decades. After King’s divorce from her then-husband in 1987, she and Kloss began a relationship, and they officially got married in a secret ceremony in 2018.
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On March 22, King took to Instagram to wish her wife Kloss on her 68th birthday. The 80-year-old posted a selfie of them together with the caption:
"Happy birthday to my partner in this beautiful life of ours!"
Billie Jean King and wife Ilana Kloss were named as one of the most influential impactful LGBT couples in 2023
Billie Jean King and her wife Ilana Kloss were recognized on Outsports' Power 100 list as among the most impactful LGBTQ figures in American sports. Outsports, a sports news platform dedicated to LGBTQ+ issues and personalities in sports, bestowed this honor upon them in June 2023.
King shared their appreciation on social media for being included on the prestigious list.
“@ilanakloss and I are humbled to be named to @outsports' "Power 100" list,” King wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
That same month, King made history as the first woman athlete to be honored with a prestigious star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the Sports Entertainment category.
In a video message, King expressed her delight at the recognition and recalled the moment when she had the opportunity to join Hollywood actress Holly Hunter, who played her in the movie "When Billie Beat Bobby," at the star’s unveiling.
"I’m so thrilled to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. As a native of Southern California, it is a dream come true,” King said. “I was fortunate to join Holly Hunter when her star was revealed — and now, it is an honor to join her and all of the other legends in Hollywood. Such an honor that I am the first woman athlete to receive this distinction."
King had an impressive tennis career during which, she won 12 Grand Slam singles titles and 16 Grand Slam doubles titles.
