As you know pickleball is showing up everywhere! One famous club near my home is the Bobby Riggs Tennis Club. YES they have pickleball and most days you need to wait for a pickleball court – it is booming! Alex Hamner and I have played there a few times and of course we have to check out the grounds… finding this gem – a tennis museum. We had some fun in there and of course pickleball paddles needed to grace the walls of the legends if just for a moment…
Yes a Paddletek paddle hung with the greats, deep in history with racquets such as: Wilson T-2000 (Jimmy Connors), Head’s Comp (Arthur Ashe), Tad Davis Imperial (Ron Homberg), Spalding Smasher (Pancho Gonzales).
Fun facts: In 1988 Bobby Riggs founded the “Bobby Riggs Tennis Museum Foundation” for medical research into prostate cancer. The museum is located at the Bobby Riggs Tennis Club in Encinitas California and recounts his career and more generally the history of tennis and includes 3 of Bobby Riggs’ US Open trophies as well as his Wimbledon Championship Trophy.
In addition to Bobby Riggs Tennis Club, the museum houses exhibits of Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova, Margaret Court, Jack Kramer, Pancho Gonzalez, and Pancho Segura. The museum was inaugurated in 1996, one year after Bobby Riggs death and is open daily to the public.
And do you remember The Battle of the Sexes? In September 1973, Riggs saw an opportunity to make some money and draw the attention to the sport of tennis. Bobby Riggs played Billie Jean King and lost, giving up the $100,000 winner-take-all prize.
Good stuff and even better with PICKLEBALL! Keep having fun…
I am upset that the Pickleball Channel was not allowed to video tape any of the game at the Nationals at Indian Wells. I was at the tournament but could not see all the games I wanted to watch. Little did I know, it is impossible to watch the games on You-tube now. What a shame we fans cannot see your games as before.
Hello Marie, I agree. There were so many great, close matches throughout the venue every day.
Great pickleball blog. I have posted your site on our face book page.
Cathy Stansbury, Ambassador for Daytona Beach FL
The Battle of the Sexes was exciting to watch as you never know what Bobby Riggs had up his sleeve. He was a good promoter (of himself) as well as this match up. This also got people interested in tennis, so a win win for all of us.
I remember the pathetic Bobby Riggs getting his sorry male chauvinist butt royally kicked by Billie Jean King–one of my favorite tennis matches of all time.
But then I am partial to strong women!
Roll over Beethoven, Rock and Roll is here to stay !
ha!