In today’a NY Times, reporter Selena Roberts has an excerpt from her book on the Billie Jean King–Bobby Riggs Battle of the Sexes tennis match. The excerpt tells the story of the earlier match between Riggs and Margaret Court, which Riggs won handily. It is a fascinating look at an earlier era:
The sprite-sized Riggs, a player who survived against giants by exploiting their human weaknesses, plotted his way to the Wimbledon men’s singles title in 1939 at 21. The instant attention he gained was delightfully dizzying, a feeling he never thought he’d recapture. Then came the spring of ’73.
To be surrounded like a bonfire again, to be seated at the best tables in the house, it all made for an intoxicating range of possibilities. But he couldn’t realize any of them unless he made the match a reality. So Bobby did what came naturally for him – he put money on it. Armed with a $5,000 carrot, he sent out telegrams challenging his wish list of opponents: Billie Jean King, Chris Evert and Margaret Smith Court.
Billie was the one he wanted, the one who really mattered. “The sex leader of the revolutionary pack,” he tagged her. That was typical Riggs, a lob over the net that was meant to tease, to frustrate. To goad. Billie just let it skip out of bounds. “There was nothing in it for women’s tennis,” Billie says. “I kept saying, ‘No, Bobby, no.’ “
Undervalued in King’s Eyes
Margaret couldn’t resist the bait. At first, hardly anyone knew that she had accepted Bobby’s invitation. Then she and Billie shared a ride in an elevator at the Virginia Slims in Detroit.
“I’m going to play Bobby Riggs,” Margaret mentioned as they inched down the shaft.
“What?”
“I’m getting $10,000.”
“That’s not enough,” Billie countered, “and, secondly, this is not about tennis.”
“What do you mean? I’m about to get $10,000.”
“Margaret, I’m just going to ask one thing of you: You have to win this match.” Margaret nodded politely. Too politely.
“No, I mean it. You have to win this match. You have no idea how important this is.”
Billie understood what Margaret couldn’t grasp: With critics starting to assail Title IX, with companies still treating working women as credit liabilities and maternity risks, with the credibility of feminists on the line, the consequences of a loss to Bobby could be dire. However, as Billie would later point out, “Margaret didn’t see the big picture.”
The Times also has a fairly negative review of Roberts’ book, which is an odd juxtaposition.
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