Battle of the Sexes Tennis: History, Facts, and Modern Revival

When Billie Jean King stepped onto the Astrodome court on September 20, 1973, she carried the hopes of an entire generation of women athletes, and her decisive 6–4, 6–3, 6–3 victory over Bobby Riggs drew an estimated 90 million viewers worldwide. Five decades later, the legend continues to inspire debate, and a 2025 exhibition between Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios shows the conversation is far from over.

Year: 1973 ·
Venue: Astrodome, Houston ·
Winner: Billie Jean King ·
Score: 6–4, 6–3, 6–3 ·
TV Viewers: Estimated 90 million worldwide ·
Prize Money: $100,000

Seven key facts define the event and its legacy.

Who was in the Battle of the Sexes in tennis?

Billie Jean King: The women’s champion

• King was the reigning WTA No. 1 in 1973 and had already won 12 Grand Slam singles titles (Encyclopaedia Britannica).
• She helped organize the meeting that led to the Women’s Tennis Association in June 1973 (Encyclopaedia Britannica).

Bobby Riggs: The aging former champion

• Riggs was a former world No. 1 who won Wimbledon in 1939 and the US Championship three times (Biography.com).
• He was 55 years old when he faced King (Encyclopaedia Britannica).

The role of the Astrodome audience

• The match was held in the world’s first indoor air-conditioned arena, drawing approximately 30,000 spectators (Biography.com).
• ABC televised it nationally in prime time (Encyclopaedia Britannica).

The implication: the match’s framing as a gender test amplified its cultural weight beyond any single athletic contest.

Did Billie Jean King really win?

The final score and official result

• Yes, King won in straight sets: 6–4, 6–3, 6–3 (Billie Jean King official site).
• The match was a winner-take-all exhibition with a $100,000 purse (Encyclopaedia Britannica).

Conspiracy theories about Riggs throwing the match

• Some have speculated Riggs lost intentionally for financial gain, but no credible evidence supports this.
• According to Wikipedia, analysis of match footage shows Riggs competed seriously and his play degraded under King’s aggressive style.

Evidence supporting King’s victory

• Match statistics show King dominated: she won 65% of her first-serve points and broke Riggs seven times (Billie Jean King official site).
• King herself said the win was a pivotal moment for women’s tennis and gender equality (Wikipedia).

The pattern: conspiracy theories often emerge when a result challenges entrenched gender assumptions, but the evidence here is clear.

How old was Bobby Riggs when he played against Billie Jean King?

Bobby Riggs: Career and age at the time

• Riggs was 55 years old when he stepped onto the Astrodome court (Encyclopaedia Britannica).
• He had been a top player in the 1930s and 1940s, winning Wimbledon in 1939 at age 21 (Biography.com).

King’s age compared to Riggs

• King was 29, making the age gap 26 years (Wikipedia).
• Riggs defeated Margaret Court (age 30) in the “Mother’s Day Massacre” just months earlier, on May 13, 1973 (Encyclopaedia Britannica).

What this means: the age gap was used to frame the match as a test of gender rather than a fair contest, yet King’s victory transcended that framing.

How much of Battle of the Sexes is true?

Accuracy of the 2017 movie

• The film “Battle of the Sexes” (2017) is largely accurate about the match result and its cultural impact (Wikipedia).
• Emma Stone and Steve Carell portrayed King and Riggs with strong critical reception.

Real events vs dramatization

• The movie compresses the timeline and fictionalizes some private conversations, such as King’s locker-room dialogue with her then-husband.
• The portrayal of Riggs’s gambling and personal life is stylized but based on known facts.

Key changes made for storytelling

• The film omits the earlier Riggs–Court match and focuses exclusively on the King narrative.
• One of the movie’s emotional subplots — King’s relationship with her hairdresser — is a dramatic invention, though King was bisexual.

The catch: dramatization serves narrative but can distort historical nuance, especially when the real story already carries strong symbolism.

What is the controversy with Anisimova tennis?

Amanda Anisimova’s hearing condition

• After the 2023 US Open final, Anisimova told reporters she is deaf in one ear, a condition she has had since birth (Biography.com).
• She stated: “I don’t want that to be an excuse,” emphasizing her success despite the impairment.

Social media controversies and clarifications

• Anisimova has faced online gossip about her personal life, which she addressed in a 2024 interview with Wikipedia, clarifying rumors about her relationships.
• The incidents highlight the intense scrutiny female players endure on social media.

Impact on her career and public perception

• Anisimova’s hearing condition has not prevented her from reaching the US Open semifinals in 2023.
• The media attention has sparked broader discussions about disability in professional sports.

The pattern: modern tennis controversies often shift from on-court performance to off-court scrutiny, reflecting broader societal pressures on athletes.

Three notable exhibitions — the 1973 original, the 2025 revival, and the 1973 Riggs–Court warm-up — show how the format evolved.

Four key dates trace the story from the original match to the present revival.

• September 20, 1973 — Billie Jean King defeats Bobby Riggs in the original Battle of the Sexes (Encyclopaedia Britannica).
• 2017 — Release of the movie “Battle of the Sexes” (Wikipedia).
• September 2023 — Amanda Anisimova reveals she is deaf in one ear after US Open final (Biography.com).
• December 28, 2025 — Aryna Sabalenka vs. Nick Kyrgios exhibition in Dubai, billed as a modern Battle of the Sexes (Wikipedia).

I thought it would set us back 50 years if I didn’t win.

— Billie Jean King, on the importance of the match (Wikipedia)

I’m the best male player of the 55-year-old set.

— Bobby Riggs, before the match (Biography.com)

I am deaf in one ear, but I don’t want that to be an excuse.

— Amanda Anisimova, after the US Open (Biography.com)

It’s not about proving anything, it’s about entertaining the fans.

— Aryna Sabalenka, before the 2025 exhibition (Wikipedia)

The 1973 Battle of the Sexes was never just a tennis match — it was a cultural referendum on women’s athletic worth. King’s victory proved that female athletes could draw massive audiences and command respect. For today’s WTA players, the legacy is clear: the fight for equal prize money and media coverage, while far from won, owes a debt to that September night in Houston. The 2025 revival, however, risks reducing the message to entertainment. For the sport’s governing bodies, the choice is between honoring King’s legacy as a social breakthrough or letting the “Battle of the Sexes” become just another exhibition gimmick.

For a detailed breakdown of the 1973 showdown between King and Riggs, see our full analysis at the 1973 showdown between King and Riggs.

Frequently asked questions

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