Riggs, Bobby, 1918-1995

Bobby Riggs (b. February 25, 1918, Los Angeles, CA-d. October 25, 1995, Encinitas, CA) was an American tennis champion who was the World No. 1 or the World co-No. 1 player for three years, first as an amateur in 1939, then as a professional in 1946 and 1947. He played his first professional tennis match on December 26, 1941. As a 21-year-old amateur in 1939, Riggs won Wimbledon, the U.S. National Championships (now U.S. Open), and was runner-up at the French Championships. He was U.S. champion again in 1941, after a runner-up finish the year before. At age 55, he competed in a challenge match against Billie Jean King, one of the top female players in the world, and lost. Their prime time "Battle of the Sexes" match in 1973 remains one of the most famous tennis events of all time, with a $100,000 winner-take-all prize.