Billie Jean King Declares ‘It’s Never Too Late’ After Earning Degree at 82 — Over 60 Years After Enrolling

Billie Jean King is proving it’s never too late to finish what you started.

The tennis legend, 82, officially earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in History from California State University, Los Angeles, on Monday, May 18 — more than six decades after first enrolling at the school in 1961. According to a Cal State LA press release, King received her diploma during the university’s commencement ceremony after returning to complete unfinished coursework remotely.

“More than 60 years have passed before I returned to the classroom to complete my degree in history,” King said during her commencement speech, per the university. “I had unfinished business, and it is important to me to finish what I started.”

Per the release, the sports icon, who left school in 1964 to focus on her booming tennis career, celebrated the milestone by volleying signed tennis balls into the crowd of graduates at Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium.

King later shared photos from the ceremony via Instagram and encouraged fans to keep chasing their goals.

“It is never, ever, too late to finish what you have started,” she captioned alongside a Monday, May 18 Instagram shot of herself beaming in her graduation gown while clutching a plush toy and her diploma.

Over the course of her trailblazing career, King won 39 Grand Slam titles and famously defeated Bobby Riggs in the 1973 “Battle of the Sexes.” She also became a pioneering advocate for equal pay and opportunities for women in sports.