The "Battle of the Sexes" was a sociological event that fed on the burgeoning women's liberation movement of the time. Bobby Riggs, one of the greatest tennis players of his day, had won at Wimbledon in 1939. Some 30 years later, he managed to keep his name in the news by becoming a shameless tennis hustler and the unofficial poster boy for male chauvinism, fueling his reputation by challenging and defeating one of female tennis' brightest stars in order to denigrate women's tennis. When Riggs beat number-one-ranked female star Margaret Court, he declared himself "the champion of women's tennis." Billie Jean King had no choice but to accept his challenge. The event drew 50 million television viewers. In three straight sets, King triumphed over Riggs, changing forever the world of women's tennis and all women's sports.
