Tennis Champion Billie Jean King Talks ‘Battle Of The Sexes’

The important story behind Battle of the Sexes.

BackstageOL’s Jonathan Stenvall sat down with tennis champion Billie Jean King in this backstage interview to talk about Battle of the Sexes.

In the biographical drama/comedy sports film, King is portrayed by actress Emma Stone who costars besides Steve Carell as Bobby Riggs. The plot is loosely based on the 1973 tennis match between King and Riggs, with King aiming to prove that women deserved the same respect as men.

In the interview, King shared how she began playing tennis, the importance of the city of Houston and more!

The film’s synopsis:

The 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs became the most watched televised sports event of all time. Trapped in the media glare, King and Riggs were on opposites sides of a binary argument, but off-court each was fighting more personal and complex battles. With her husband urging her to fight for equal pay, the private King was also struggling to come to terms with her own sexuality, while Riggs gambled his legacy and reputation in a bid to relive the glories of his past.

Battle of the Sexes in theaters September 29th. For more from King, check out the full interview below!