At 82 years old, Billie Jean King has just scored perhaps the most meaningful victory of her legendary life — and it didn't happen on a tennis court.

Six decades after leaving Cal State LA to chase a professional tennis dream that would make her the world's No. 1 player, King is finally graduating. This Monday, she'll receive her bachelor's degree in history, closing a chapter that has been waiting for her since the early 1960s.

King, ever the competitor, compared the moment to finishing a hard-fought match. "It's like shaking hands at the net — you know that feeling that it's done. You did your best, win or lose," she told USA TODAY. "I'd like to finish where I started."

Her journey at Cal State LA began in 1961, and even while attending classes, she was already making history — winning her first Wimbledon doubles title as a student. But the pull of the pro circuit was too strong, and she left before graduation to take her game to new heights.

Thirty-nine major championships, a Presidential Medal of Freedom, and a lifetime of advocacy for gender equality later, King says this degree ranks among her greatest achievements. "This is right up there," she said. "I'm the first one in my immediate family to graduate college, which is important to me."

True to form, King isn't just celebrating her own milestone — she's using it to inspire others. By showing that it's "never too late" to pursue education, she's once again opening doors, this time for anyone who ever thought their dreams had an expiration date.

From breaking barriers in tennis to breaking through in the classroom, Billie Jean King proves that champions never stop learning — or leading.