Movies have shown us some of the greatest stories about rivalries, friendships, and struggles in the tennis world
Movies are just another way of story-telling and there have been quite a number based on tennis that have released over time.
Tennis is an individual sport, most of the times, but that doesn’t stop it from having big rivalries and stories to share.
There have been a few movies that have narrated the stories of some of the biggest tennis stars on the planet. Having said that, let’s take a look at the top-five greatest tennis movies of all time.
1. Borg vs McEnroe
One of the most enthralling tennis stories about a unique rivalry, Borg vs McEnroe tells the story of Swede Bjorn Borg and upcoming American tennis star John McEnroe.
The movie was released in 2017 and it shows the historic 1980 Wimbledon final between the 2 rivals.
2. Battle of Sexes
The film ‘Battle of Sexes’ released in the same year as ‘Borg vs McEnroe’ and deals with one of the most controversial moments in the history of tennis. This movie featured one of the most iconic battles of all time – Bobby Riggs vs Billie Jean King.
Bobby Riggs had slammed women’s tennis and demanded to face the top players. In a bid to fight against male chauvinism, King accepts to face Riggs, eventually defeating him 6-4, 6-3, 6-3.
3.Venus and Serena
Unlike the above two, ‘Venus and Serena’ is a documentary film that took a peep inside the lives of the greatest pair of sisters in tennis – Venus and Serena Williams. The film got released in 2012 and featured both the sisters.
4. Unmatched
This 2010 documentary revolves around two of the greatest women’s tennis players – Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert.
The movie gives an idea of how friendship and rivalry between two tennis counterparts can go hand in hand smoothly and is considered a must-watch.
5. Arthur Ashe: Citizen of the World
The 1994 movie is a tribute to former American tennis star Arthur Ashe.
Ashe was special being the first black man to be selected into the US Davis Cup team. He also led them to their first title in five years and has three Grand Slam titles to his name.
A truly-inspiring documentary, ‘Arthur Ashe’ talks about Ashe’s struggles and fights against Apartheid, awareness about HIV/AIDS among many other issues.
There were several other movies that could have made the list. However, these were some of the best.
More tennis news:
- “Have to set goals that are difficult to achieve” – Juan Carlos Ferrero compares Carlos Alcaraz to Roger Federer, Dominic Thiem, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal
- Will the 2021 Olympics be the final tournament before Roger Federer’s retirement?
- “A great tennis story in four words” – Mardy Fish takes shot at Roger Federer with hilarious tweet
Follow our dedicated tennis page for instant news and updates
