Right after the match, Riggs admitted he had misjudged King’s capabilities. He commented, “Every time I believed I had secured the point during our rallies, she managed to retrieve it.”
Subsequently, accusations surfaced claiming Riggs had intentionally lost the game, external to settle his outstanding gambling obligations with the Mafia.
Regardless of the surrounding details, King’s triumph has firmly remained in collective memory. Scarcely a day passes without someone referencing the Battle of the Sexes event to her.
King recounted, “Upon my initial encounter with President Obama in the Oval Office, he remarked, ‘I viewed that contest at the age of 12. With two daughters today, it influenced my approach to parenting them’.”
“For the women who witnessed it, it served as a source of empowerment and instilled self-assurance in them.
“Furthermore, the men who approach me are often highly emotional – occasionally having tears in their eyes.”
King maintained contact with Riggs, who passed away in October 1995, following their match, and he continued to be regarded as a significant sports figure by her.
King stated, “We kept in communication, and on the evening prior to his passing, we had a meaningful conversation.”
“He ultimately grasped that the event held historical significance. I consistently told him it was about history, while he insisted it was solely about financial gain.
“He expressed his affection for me, and the subsequent day, he departed.”
King concluded her professional career having amassed 39 Grand Slam championships, spanning singles, doubles, and mixed doubles categories.
However, she is equally commemorated for her advocacy for fairness within sports, and her victory over Riggs represented a vital component of this endeavor.
