20th September 1973: Billie Jean King defeats Bobby Riggs in the 'Battle of the Sexes' tennis match

Bobby Riggs was a leading tennis player in the 1940s, and by the time he retired in 1951 had won six Grand Slam titles. Following his retirement he became a self-described hustler and male chauvinist, and began organising exhibition matches that complimented his love of gambling.

By 1973 Riggs had turned his attention to women’s tennis and began criticising the quality of the players. With media attention growing, he claimed that at age 55 he could still beat any female player, and actively began seeking opponents. Margaret Court, who was the best female player in the world at the time, accepted the challenge and played on Mother’s Day 1973. Having easily defeated her 6-2, 6-1 by keeping her off-guard with a combination of drop shots and lobs, Riggs sought another female opponent and focused his attention on Billie Jean King.

King had previously rebuffed Riggs’ challenges but, following Court’s defeat, agreed to play him in a televised match that drew an estimated worldwide audience of 90 million people known as the ‘Battle of the Sexes’ that would deliver $100,000 to the victor. The spectacle was reinforced when King and Riggs entered the Houston Astrodome on a Cleopatra-style litter carried by topless men, and a rickshaw pulled by female models, respectively.

Early in the match Riggs broke King’s serve, something that she later said made her realise that she ‘had to win’ the match in order to preserve the image of women’s tennis. She went on to win in straight sets, 6–4, 6–3, 6–3 and brought significant attention not only to the sport of women’s tennis but also to sexual equality in general.