Tennis Legends Shine in Captivating BBC Documentary ‘Gods of Tennis’
Published: April 2023
Source: BBC
A new BBC documentary series, “Gods of Tennis,” takes viewers on a captivating journey through the golden era of tennis in the 1970s and 1980s. The series delves into how a generation of tennis megastars, including Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe, Billie Jean King, Arthur Ashe, Chris Evert, and Martina Navratilova, truly put the sport on the map and became its first major celebrities.
The three-part documentary explores the commercial success that followed, and how some players used their increased profile to drive social change. Tennis legends like Tracy Austin, who won the US Open at just 16 in 1979, share their memories of the era, describing the sport’s superstars being treated like the Beatles by adoring fans.
One of the standout moments highlighted in “Gods of Tennis” is Arthur Ashe’s participation in the 1973 South African Championships. Ashe, the first black professional to play in the tournament, made his participation contingent on the event being integrated for the first time in South African history. As author Mark Mathabane notes, Ashe’s actions “made numberless black people in South Africa realise Apartheid is based on a lie.”
The series also delves into the groundbreaking “Battle of the Sexes” match in 1973, where Billie Jean King, then 29, took on the self-proclaimed male chauvinist Bobby Riggs, 55, in a televised event that became a global phenomenon. King’s victory in straight sets was a significant step on the road to achieving equal pay in tennis, which the US Open introduced later that year.
The documentary also explores the iconic rivalry between Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, the latter of whom won a record nine Wimbledon singles titles and 167 singles titles overall on tour. Navratilova’s emotional moment at the 1981 US Open final, where the crowd gave her a standing ovation as she received her runners-up medal, is a poignant highlight.
“Gods of Tennis” masterfully captures the extraordinary impact that these tennis legends had, both on and off the court, during a transformative era for the sport. The series offers a captivating and insightful look into the iconic players who elevated tennis to new heights and left an indelible mark on the game.
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