Bobby Riggs

Robert Larimore "Bobby" Riggs (February 25, 1918–October 25, 1995) was a 1930s/40s tennis champion who gained even more fame in 1973 at the age of 55 as a result of challenge matches against two of the top female players in the world.

Legitimate Career

Riggs was born in Los Angeles, California. Small in stature, he lacked the power of his much larger competitors such as Don Budge and Jack Kramer but made up for it with brains and speed. A master court strategist and tactician, he worked the opposition out of position and scored points with the game's best drop shot from both the forehand and the backhand, as well as the game's best lob.

Related Topics:
Los Angeles, California - Don Budge - Jack Kramer

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Riggs was part of the American Davis Cup winning team in 1938 and the following year he made it to the finals of the French Open but then won the Wimbledon Championships triple, capturing the singles, doubles, and mixed doubles titles. He went on to win the US Open, earning the number 1 world ranking for 1939.

Related Topics:
Davis Cup - French Open - Wimbledon Championships - US Open

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Riggs teamed up with Alice Marble, his Wimbledon co-champion, to win the 1940 US Open mixed doubles championship. In 1941, he won his second US Open singles title following which he turned professional. As a pro, he won the National Singles Championship in 1946, 1947, and 1949, and for a few years in the mid-40s, while touring against Don Budge and a few other professionals such as Pancho Segura, Riggs was arguably the best player in the world. He soon retired from competitive tennis, however, and briefly took over the job of promoting the professional game.

Related Topics:
Alice Marble - National Singles Championship - Pancho Segura

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