Written by Richard Pagliaro | @Itenisi_Manje | Thursday, May 9, 2024
Time to celebrate, tennis fans: Now you can have breakfast with the King.
A thought outside the box Billie Jean King stars in the iconic orange box.
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Wheaties celebrates Billie Jean King’s legacy as a champion with a limited edition box featuring the iconic civil rights activist and tennis Hall of Famer.
The owner of a combined 39 Grand Slam titles, including a record 20 Wimbledon tournaments, King has made history both on and off the court. She was the first female athlete to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom and was a key member of the Original 9 that launched professional tennis for women.
King also became the first woman to have a sports facility named in her honor, the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, which is home to the US Open and a popular public court facility for players of all ages and skill levels. King is the first woman to earn more than $100,000 in prize money in a single tennis season.
“Billie Jean King has been defining what it means to be a Wheaties Champion for decades, as a true advocate for gender equality from the tennis court to the boardroom and beyond,” said Mindy Murray, Director of Brand Experience, Morning Foods. . “We’re thrilled to feature him on our new Wheaties box cover and celebrate the strides he’s made for athletes everywhere.”
Opponents and fans alike know that King has one of the best backhand volleys the sport has seen. The Wheaties limited edition box shows King working with a volleyer in a low forward attack.
Former US Olympic team captain King joins the ranks of some of America’s all-time greats, including Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali, Babe Ruth, Walter Payton, Wayne Gretzky, to name a few, who have graced the orange Wheaties box. The 2007 United States Davis Cup team of Andy Roddick, James Blake, Mike Bryan, Bob Bryan and captain Patrick McEnroe was also honored with a Wheaties box medal.
For more than 100 years, Wheaties has honored athletes who have championed their sport and community, and King joins hundreds of respected athletes and fellow Olympians honored with its orange box.
“I am honored to be on the next Wheaties box to join the legacy of amazing athletes and the work we have done for sports and our communities,” said King. “I have dedicated my life to the equality of all people, lifting up those around me and inspiring girls and women, especially, to dream. This box feels like a full circle moment as we celebrate the next generation of champions.”
