Billie Jean King’s Knee Replacement

“I’m just so thrilled that I decided to get my knees done. I waited too long.”

With those words, sports legend Billie Jean King voiced sentiments that are shared by literally millions of knee replacement patients—the majority of whom are women.

Tennis great Billie Jean King won her most recent battle against debilitating knee pain in 2010 when she successfully underwent double-knee replacement surgery. Though King won 39 Grand slam tennis titles, including 20 at Wimbledon, she is best remembered among fans of a certain age for her defeat of Bobby Riggs. The 40th anniversary of that “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match is next year.

I beat him in 1973, ” King said. “Back then a woman could not even get a credit card on her own without a man signing for her. Title IX had just passed and it was all about social change.

King had the first of eight knee surgeries when she was 23 and ranked number one in the world. She says that, two years ago, she had gotten to a point where, “I couldn’t even walk a block in New York City. I had to take a taxi to get to the gym and then when I got to the gym, I couldn’t even lift weights properly because my knees were hurting so badly. My whole life was closing in on me, so I’m just so thrilled that I decided to get my knees done. I waited too long. You just don’t realize how debilitating it can be. You have to really be patient with your rehab, but the other side of it is worth it. I think my knees are going to outlive me! I feel great.” King is now 69 years old.