Billie Jean King to receive Hollywood Walk of Fame star

WATCH: Game, Set, Bet: Be smart with Djokovic and Wimbledon

The legendary Billie Jean King has made it her life’s mission to empower female athletes—and she keeps breaking barriers to this day.

Case in point, when the Hollywood Walk of Fame announced its 2024 class on Monday, King fittingly became the first ever female athlete to receive the coveted distinction.

“I’m so thrilled to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. As a native of Southern California, it is a dream come true,” King said in a video message. “I was fortunate to join [American actress] Holly Hunter when her star was revealed—and now, it is an honor to join her and all of the other legends in Hollywood.”

“Such an honor that I am the first woman athlete to receive this distinction,” she added.

Other members of the Hollywood Walk of Fame class of 2024 include actors such as the late Chadwick Boseman, Gal Gadot, Chris Pine and Michelle Yeoh, and musicians like Gwen Stefani, Andre ‘Dr. Dre’ Young and Def Leppard.

The Walk of Fame selection committee, which is made up of past honorees, selected the new honorees from among hundreds of nominations.

King also joins former football player and actor Carl Weathers in the new Sports Entertainment category. The category was first introduced in 2023, with former football player turned broadcaster Michael Strahan being its first honoree, finally giving athletes a place among the stars on the world’s most famous sidewalk.

There are no details yet about King’s star ceremony, if she’ll have one. According to the Walk of Fame, recipients have up to two years to schedule their ceremony from their date of selection before the opportunity expires.