International Tennis Hall of Famer Billie Jean King has made her fair share of history throughout her illustrious career and now the 82-year-old has a degree to match.
Six decades after leaving Cal State LA to pursue a professional tennis career and become the No. 1 player in the world, King is set to graduate Monday after completing her bachelor’s degree in history. Like a true champion, she likened her return to college to a game of tennis.
"It's like a match. You're shaking hands at net, you know that feeling that it's done. You did your best win or lose," King told USA TODAY's Studio IX on Wednesday. "I'd like to finish. ... That's where I started. I should finish there."
The California native attended Cal State LA from 1961 through 1964 and even won her first Wimbledon doubles title while attending the university. King ultimately decided to leave to take tennis to another level. Thirty-nine major championships and a Presidential Medal of Freedom later, King said earning her degree may be her most meaningful accomplishment yet.
"This is right up there," King said of the accomplishment. "I'm the first one in my immediate family (to graduate college), which is important to me."
