The release and the victory of Will Smith at the Oscars for King Richard, retracing the childhood of the two sisters and tennis legends Venus et Serena Williams, had me thinking. There are a lot of films and series about sports. You will find hundreds of movies about football, boxing or even rugby. But what about tennis? As a fan of this sport, I find it hard to find a (good) tennis movie that will focus on the sport and the players.
Tennis is one of the most popular sports in Europe, France’s second favorite after football, same in Switzerland and Spain. The proof is, the sport is available on most streaming platforms. Including on french bookmakers. Nonetheless, it is still complicated to find a quality movie about tennis. That is why we have listed four of the best movies about tennis.
Battle of the sexes (2017)
This biographical movie, directed by Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton, narrates the match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs in 1973.
The world number one female tennis player of the time and the former male number one, more than 20 years her senior. A match between the feminist and the macho who assures the press that he can beat King at any time. Who at first refuses then accepts, exasperated by Riggs’ and Kramer’s (representative of the international professional tennis council) sexist comments.
This film not only has tennis as its theme but also tells part of the struggle of female tennis players, including Billie Jean King, for equal pay as male players.
King Richard (2021)
This Oscar-winning film recounts the childhood of Venus and Serena Williams and their training led by their father, Richard Williams. Who decides by watching a Virginia Ruzici match that hir daughters will become tennis champions.
He even created a 78 pages plan to conduct their training before they were born!
The Williams family could not afford a professional coach but Richard and his wife Brandy had other plans and led their daughters to the world’s biggest tournaments.
It is an inspiring story of a father’s determination to carry his children through hardship in an elitist sport dominated by white people and where very few black players were successful.
But also to keep them away from the street of Compton, California. Whether you are a tennis enthusiast, this film will strike a chord in you.
40-Love (2014)
As for French-language films, you can find 40-Love, by Stéphane Demoustier, co-produced by the Dardenne brothers. 40-Love (Terre battue in French) is the story of an unemployed father, a former supermarket manager. Who is struggling to get back on his feet professionally, and his son Ugo, a tennis court prodigy. The two, who seem to be opposites, are pushed to extreme measures to achieve their goals.
This film depicts a modern society that overemphasizes competitive values and material success. To avoid, if you are not in the best mood.
Borg vs. McEnroe (2017)
We saved the best (in my humble opinion) for last! Borg vs. McEnroe recounts to us the story of the rivalry between tennis players Björn Borg and John McEnroe. The two men could not be more different if they were not two tennis legends. The first one is calm and disciplined, the second is temperamental and impetuous.
The film takes place in the late 70s and early 80s when Borg must face McEnroe to win the Wimbledon tournament for the fifth time consecutive and break the world’s record. The actors are fantastic, the scenario is as well. If it were not for the too many close-ups, this movie would be perfect (once again, in my humble opinion).
As for documentaries, you can find a wider choice of films like Roland Garros, building the legend available on Amazon Prime video.
