In 1973, tennis becomes a cultural battleground.
Former champion and provocateur Bobby Riggs claims that even past his prime, a man can defeat the world’s best women. When he beats Margaret Court, the victory is seized upon as proof, igniting a national debate far beyond sport. The response comes from Billie Jean King. Under immense public pressure, King accepts Riggs’s challenge in a nationally televised match watched by millions. Her victory is celebrated as a final verdict, not just in tennis, but in culture itself. Yet the question does not disappear. In 1975, California hosts the Challenge of the Sexes, where Virginia Wade faces Björn Borg and Evonne Goolagong Cawley plays Ilie Năstase. These quieter, highly competitive exhibitions complicate the narrative, shows that outcomes are shaped by surface, style, context as much as gender. As the sport evolves, so does the debate. In the 1980s, Martina Navratilova emerges as the defining figure of her era. In a mixed-doubles exhibition, Navratilova and Pam Shriver defeat Vitas Gerulaitis and an aging Riggs, underscoring how rules and format redefine fairness. 19 years after the original, the battle returns one last time. In 1992, outside Caesars Palace in Vegas, Battle of Champions pits Jimmy Connors against Navratilova. Promoters call it war, Navratilova a battle of egos. Amid rumors, bravado, and history’s weight, Connors wins in straight sets. Battle is not an about proving who is better and equality does not mean sameness
