It’s 1975, and two tennis greats – Billie Jean King and Arthur Ashe – are aiming to win Wimbledon titles but also, in their own ways, to change the world for the better. Back in the late 60s, as the women’s liberation movement becomes headline news, Billie Jean King takes up the gauntlet for women in sport. Having dominated the women's game for years, winning several Wimbledon Championships, King is spearheading the drive for equal prize money and equal treatment of women, whilst Ashe focuses his attention on racial equality on and off the court.
Crowds flock to see two tennis superstars face off against each other in the 1981 Wimbledon men’s final. The rivalry between sex symbol Bjorn Borg and tabloid bad boy John McEnroe is the fiercest the men’s game has ever seen. Back in the mid-70s, Borg is bringing a new glamour and celebrity to Centre Court and is regularly mobbed by hordes of screaming fans. He quickly dominates the men’s game but is soon challenged by a young upstart from New York – John McEnroe. With little respect for the institution of Wimbledon, McEnroe clashes spectacularly with the umpires and his explosive outbursts on Centre Court become all too frequent. Their showdowns in the Wimbledon finals in 1980 and 1981 are among the most memorable matches in men’s tennis. But their sporting prowess brings with it an intense level of media scrutiny. And while McEnroe’s antics infuriate the tabloids and the Wimbledon hierarchy, it’s the calm and collected Borg who struggles to cope.
It’s 1990, and Martina Navratilova – Czech-born but representing the USA - has the chance to become the most decorated singles player in Wimbledon history. But in the years proceeding that final, Martina is viewed with suspicion by the American public, having defected from a communist country and being openly gay. And though she’s winning matches thanks to a groundbreaking training regime, her muscular frame is drawing criticism from a chauvinistic press. In comparison, her famous rival Chris Evert is America’s sweetheart. She is heralded as the perfect celebrity athlete - Andy Warhol has painted her portrait and gossip magazines pour over her love life – including relationships with fellow tennis players Jimmy Connors and John Lloyd. Evert is pigeonholed based on her looks, but she is Navratilova’s most formidable opponent, with a reputation for incredible mental toughness. This is the story of an intense rivalry that pivots between mutual respect and hostility. But at the heart of
