Billie Jean King, 82, Admits She’s ‘Lazy at Heart’—But Her Mom’s Advice Keeps Her Moving (Exclusive)
The tennis legend dishes on staying active, championing women's sports and pursuing goals at any age
Over the course of her career, 82-year-old Billie Jean King was at one point the number one tennis player in the world, won 39 Grand Slam titles, played in historic matches like the Battle of the Sexes exhibition in which she dominated Bobby Riggs and made remarkable strides toward equality in women’s sports. You’d think that after all this time, the Long Beach, California native would be resting on her laurels—but that isn’t quite Billie Jean’s style. Today, the tennis champion keeps herself busy with her podcast, Welcome to the Party, which she co-hosts alongside Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy. Back in January, she enjoyed the premiere of Give Me the Ball! at Sundance, which chronicled her life, career and cultural impact. Currently, she’s teaming up with QVC, sharing the buys that keep her comfortable and active. In just a few days, she’ll head to Italy to cheer on Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
“[I’ll] never stop working for women’s sports and trying to get things done and talk to younger generations so they’ll carry the ball forward,” she told Woman’s World in an exclusive interview. “And I have fun. I love people. I always have, and I’ve always had a great time.” Here, see what Billie Jean King has to say about her tireless work toward equality in women’s sports, her New Year’s resolution, where she finds the confidence to try new things and how she finds the motivation to stay active—despite being “lazy at heart.”
Billie Jean King’s advice from her mother
When Billie Jean King’s mother, Betty Moffitt, was around 80 years old, she remembers having a serious conversation with her. “‘I want you to keep moving the rest of your life, because if you don’t keep moving, it’s over,’” she remembers her mom telling her. “And boy, I could tell she really meant it, definitely. took that to heart.” When 2026 rolled around, Billie Jean felt that her body could use a little more movement and strengthening, so she committed to doing 150 minutes of exercise a week—and despite being one of the most accomplished athletes in the world, even she needs a little time to find her momentum. Earlier in the week, she and her wife, former South African tennis player Ilana Kloss, enjoyed about 70 minutes of the game they’ve both grown to love, with King joking that by the time she was done, “I thought I was going to die.”
Billie Jean King’s 20-minute rule
The former tennis star might be a world champion, but much like the rest of us, exercise isn’t always the easiest to commit to. However, she’s found something of a hack that makes getting things going just a bit simpler. “It takes me 20 minutes before I’m really in it and warmed up, feeling sweaty and all that. But the first 20 minutes, I am dying. I don’t want to do it. I’m struggling. And so I keep telling myself, all right, I have to get to 20 minutes and then see how I feel,” she explained. “And at 20 minutes, something magical happens to me, and I’m okay.”
Billie Jean King encourages women to check in with themselves
As far as exercise goes, finding a routine that works for you or doesn’t feel so much like a chore can be tough—even a workout routine that you tend to enjoy can be tough at times! However, regardless of how dreadful it might feel in the moment, Billie Jean encourages women to check in with themselves after they’ve put in the work and gotten their bodies moving.
“It’s really important to check in with yourself during, but after you’ve exercised, just after, check in with yourself and ask yourself, ‘Do you feel better now, after, or before? And I really make that a way of checking in—I feel so much better right after I’ve worked out. It’s not even close.”
Billie Jean King dishes on women’s ice hockey and the PWHL
As she heads to the Olympics in the coming days, there are a handful of female athletes Billie Jean is excited to cheer on, but women’s ice hockey holds something of a special place in her heart, as she and her wife Ilana were instrumental in the development of the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL), many of the league’s players participating in this year’s Games.
“Finally, girls have the same dream their brothers have had,” she explained. “It’s three years old now, but most of the players, or a lot of the players you’re seeing from a lot of different countries, are in that league now. We’re trying to increase it. We’ve added two new teams, and we’re really trying to make it possible. We love to make the dreams possible for kids, and the girls were so far behind. And so anything we can do to help girls have the dream, to believe in themselves, we really like it.”
Billie Jean King on chasing dreams at any age
On top of everything that’s already on her plate, Billie Jean King plans on getting her degree this May—and she encourages women, regardless of what stage in life they might be in, not to give up on their goals and dreams. “It’s never too late,” she encourages. “I don’t care what it is. For instance, with exercise. If you can’t do it by yourself, make sure you go with a friend or get somebody.” She continued, “Don’t measure yourself or compare yourself to others. Stay within yourself, and don’t expect too much. Just go slowly.”
Billie Jean King proves that staying active and chasing your dreams isn’t about age—it’s about attitude. Her mother’s wisdom rings as true today as it did decades ago: Keep moving, keep dreaming, and keep believing in what’s possible. As King herself says, “It’s never too late.”
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