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If anyone knows how to appreciate the incredible achievements of women in sports, it is the WTA Founder Billie Jean King. Recently, the 80-year-old American tennis legend was seen congratulating one of the greatest Alpine skiers of all time. BJK has always played an active role in empowering women in sports. Let’s find out what prompted the legendary King to sing the praises of Mikaela Shiffrin.

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Mikaela Shiffrin was seen in action on Sunday at the Stifel Killington Cup 2023, where she won her 90th World Cup beating Petra Vlahova of Slovakia by 0.33 seconds. Congratulatory messages and praises were showered on the 28-year-old American skier and Billie Jean King was one of the handful of renowned names who took to social media to do the same.

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Billie Jean King congratulates Mikaela Shiffrin’s incredible record

The two-time Olympic gold medalist showcased a stellar performance in front of her home crowd on November 26. Billie Jean King congratulated Mikaela Shiffrin following the latter’s record-extending victory. Here’s what the 12-time Grand Slam title holder in women’s singles had to say.

BJK tweeted, “Congratulations to the unstoppable ⁦Mikaela Shiffrin⁩ on winning a women’s World Cup slalom race yesterday, earning record-extending career victory Number 90.” Shiffrin promptly replied to her tweet with a ‘Thank You’ to the Tennis Hall of Famer.

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Just like the former world number one in women’s tennis, Shiffrin has achieved quite a few remarkable feats in her career. Let’s find out some of the astonishing figures of ‘Sir Naps A Lot’. That’s the nickname of Mikaela Shiffrin, as she reportedly takes naps almost every day, even after getting 10 hours of sleep. Hilariously, the youngest slalom champion in the Olympics, clinched her World Cup overall title while snoozing in 2017. 

Mikaela Shiffrin and her astonishing records

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On March 11, 2011, she made her World Cup debut in giant slalom at Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic. She won her first race at a slalom in 2012. Then in 2014, when Shiffrin was only 14 years old, she had won both slalom and GS in Italy at the Topolino Games competing against top skiers from other nations. The 2-time Olympic gold medalist is also a 5-time overall world cup champion, 4-time world champion in Slalom and 7-time winner of the World Cup discipline title at that event. She has achieved a lot in her career so far. Shiffrin created history at the age of 18 years and 345 days by becoming the youngest slalom champion.

READ MORE: Billie Jean King Goes Beyond Men’s Tennis as She Congratulates All of Italy for a ‘Terrific Year’

The American Skier has now gathered 90 wins out of 254 starts at the World Cup since her debut on the circuit. With the next women’s World Cup races being the two giant slaloms at Tremblant and Quebec, Shiffrin would like to extend her epic run for a few more days. Share your thoughts on this moment of the day where two prominent faces of the sports catch up with each other.

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Sayantan Roy

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Sayantan Roy is a seasoned tennis journalist at EssentiallySports. A former competitive player, he brings a deep tactical understanding to his coverage, breaking down head-to-head records, match dynamics, and on-court strategies with precision. For more than two years, Sayantan has been a key member of the Live Events desk, delivering real-time insights and data-backed predictions for the platform’s Matchday Preview section. His analytical approach has sparked editorial debates and drawn recognition from respected tennis voices, including commentator and analyst Olly_Tennis. Combining his playing experience with a passion for insightful sports journalism, Sayantan’s work serves as a trusted reference point for tennis fans around the world.

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Tony Thomas

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