The world commemorates the 50th anniversary of Billie Jean King’s historic “Battle of the Sexes” triumph over Bobby Riggs. Billie Jean King to be nominated for a Congressional Gold Medal.
Fifty years after Battle of the Sexes, gender equity in tennis remains elusive: Wednesday marked another 50th anniversary — that of King’s historic “Battle of the Sexes” match, in which she beat Bobby Riggs, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3, at the Houston Astrodome. It was viewed by an estimated 90 million people worldwide and was lauded at the time as a triumph for women in sports. Full Story: ESPN
The ‘Battle of the Sexes’ was 50 years ago — tennis has never been the same: Houston Public Media sat down with Zina Garrison to discuss the legacy of that historic match, how women’s tennis has changed in the five decades since, and her longtime friendship with King. Full Story: Houston Public Media
Billie Jean King to be nominated for Congressional Gold Medal: Three U.S. senators will introduce a bill Wednesday that would award the honor to King, the tennis Hall of Famer and activist who was a driving force behind the creation of the women’s pro tour and equal prize money for men and women. “She’s both a role model for women and girls everywhere, but she’s also a battle-tested warrior for women’s rights and equality,” said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, one of the bill’s leaders in the Senate along with Sens. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. Full Story: ESPN
Breaking Down the Complicated Case of Simona Halep’s Doping Ban: Jon Wertheim breaks down the 31-year-old’s four-year suspension by the ITIA. It is likely only the beginning of a complex legal battle. Full Story: Sports Illustrated Editorial Note: Wertheim saved me the trouble of doing a dedicated post on this.
Did Bobby Riggs Throw the 1973 ‘Battle Of The Sexes’ Tennis Match?: NPR spoke with Don Van Natta Jr., a senior writer with ESPN, about new evidence that the famous Battle of the Sexes tennis match between Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King may have been thrown to cover Rigg’s gambling debts to the Mafia. Full Story: NPR
The Laver Cup Underlines a Generational Shift in Tennis: Young players are stepping up as some older ones fade. Even Roger Federer, the event’s father, has retired. Full Story: The New York Times
Why Tennis Is The Toughest Game Of Life With No Hiding Place: Interviews with Grand Slam losers are probably the most visceral show of despair of all sports. Full Story: Forbes
ITF and ITA Announce Women’s College Accelerator Program: Beginning in September 2023, the program offers up to five main draw places into WTT events for women who were Top 5 in the end-of-year NCAA Division I rankings from May 31st, 2023, and for those who were finalists at the NCAA Championships. Full Story: ITF
Four decades ago, Terry Holladay was the WTA’s pioneering mom: After giving birth in 1982, Terry Holladay successfully petitioned the tour to return the following year without a ranking—an early application of what is now the protected ranking rule. Full Story: Tennis.com
From hitting serves to serving insights, the incomparable Mary Carillo: Mary Carillo’s voice has changed the game in sports storytelling, mixing passion with wit and making every tale a memorable journey. Full Story: WTA
Slots to play pickleball on the National Mall filled within minutes: From Sept. 28 to 30, nine courts will pop up at the JFK Hockey Fields by the Lincoln Memorial. When slots for the three-day event opened up Thursday at noon, they filled up within two minutes. Full Story: The Washington Post
This Week in Professional Tennis
| Date | Tournament | Tour/Level | Location |
| 9/22-24 | Laver Cup | Exhibition | Vancouver |
| 9/20-26 | Chengdu Open | ATP 250 | China |
| 9/20-26 | Huafa Properties Zhuhai Championships | ATP 250 | China |
| 9/25-10/1 | Toray Pan Pacific Open Tennis | WTA 500 | Japan |
| 9/25-30 | Ningbo Open | WTA 250 | China |
Several years back, I was at a clinic featuring Vic Braden. He was a life long friend of Bobby Riggs. During a Q&A time, Braden said he was at Riggs bedside in the hospital before he passed away. Surrounded by a bunch of tennis greats, Riggs told them that he had thrown the match with Billie Jean King. Riggs told a lot of stories in his life, was he telling a true one on his deathbed?
Fascinating!