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Billie Jean King documentary charts her fight for equality and respect
The documentary *Give Me the Ball!* portrays Billie Jean King as a tennis champion who spent much of her career pressing for equal respect and prize money for women’s tennis. It also traces how her sporting success brought her into the public spotlight on questions of gender equality and sexuality.
The film features King’s own interviews, archive footage and contributions from her husband, Larry, alongside coverage of her role in launching the Virginia Slims women’s tour. It revisits her 1973 victory over Bobby Riggs in the “battle of the sexes”, as well as the media scrutiny around her sexuality. The documentary opens at Genesis in London on 13 November and arrives on Disney+ on 22 November.
In short
- Billie Jean King fought for equality in tennis.
- The film revisits her 1973 win over Bobby Riggs.
- It arrives on Disney+ on 22 November.
Explained simply
Billie Jean King was a leading American tennis player in the 1960s and 1970s, when women’s tennis received less attention and prize money than men’s. She helped launch the Virginia Slims tour, an independent circuit that gave women players more opportunities to compete.
In 1973, King beat former men’s champion Bobby Riggs in a widely watched match known as the “battle of the sexes”. Her career also drew public attention to debates about gender equality and sexuality, including scrutiny of her private life.
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Originally published by The Guardian as “Give Me the Ball! review – tennis trailblazer Billie Jean King is ferocious force for equality”.