Bobby Riggs was a three-time Grand Slam singles champion, but tennis history doesn’t primarily remember him for his trophies. Instead, the late athlete is immortalized for the infamous “Battle of the Sexes.”
In 1973, at the age of 55, the British-born American player challenged Billie Jean King, one of the top female players of the era, to an exhibition match. With a prize of $100,000 on the line, King stunned the world by defeating Riggs in straight sets: 6-4, 6-3, 6-2. Earlier that same year, Riggs had dominated another female legend, Margaret Court, with a 6-2, 6-1 victory in a match famously known as the “Mother’s Day Massacre.”
Conspiracy or Collapse?
Riggs’ loss to King following his dominant win over Court has long been viewed with suspicion. In 2013, an ESPN investigative report claimed that Riggs might have lost the match on purpose. A close associate told ESPN that Riggs owed a significant debt to a mafia group that he couldn’t repay. According to this claim, the mafia agreed to clear his debt if he threw the match against Billie Jean King. By the time these allegations surfaced, Riggs was no longer alive to defend his reputation.
The $2.3 Million Gamble
Riggs’ notoriety as a gambler and bookmaker was no secret during his playing days. In his 1949 autobiography, he candidly discussed his addiction to betting. One of his most audacious claims was regarding the 1939 Wimbledon Championships.
Riggs claimed he placed a massive bet on himself to win the “Triple Crown”—the Singles, Doubles, and Mixed Doubles titles. Against the odds, he achieved the feat, winning $105,000 in the process. In today’s economy, that win would be worth approximately $2.375 million (nearly 29 crore BDT).
Unlike the allegations surrounding his later career, this was a bet on success rather than failure—proving that Bobby Riggs was a man who lived and breathed high-stakes risks, both on and off the court.
