How Bobby Runs and Talks, Talks, Talks

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There are a few clues to what makes Bobby run. Whole libraries could be filled with psychiatric studies of ministers' sons as rips and rakehells, and Bobby belongs among them. The son of a preacher of the Church of Christ, Bobby grew up in a house that was never cursed by demon rum or cards. Four older brothers had him running races, pitching baseballs, jumping fences and swinging from trees, usually against neighborhood boys his age, with a Saturday matinee held out as a reward. Says Riggs: "Everything was a contest, everything was a game, and I never lost that early drive to compete."

When he was twelve and swinging a racket on a court for the first time (barefoot, as he recalls, since he owned no tennis shoes) Bobby was spotted by Dr. Esther Bartosh, a university anatomy instructor and the third ranking woman player in Los Angeles. Yes, Virginia Slimmers, Bobby Riggs got his start in tennis from a woman. In fact, two women: his later instruction was taken up by Eleanor Tennant, who developed Alice Marble.

While still in his teens, Bobby became a steady winner, but he was never fully accepted by the tennis establishment. He was too blatant about breaking the amateur rule against taking illicit payments and too big in the mouth. He claims that he was at first denied a spot on the U.S. Davis Cup team, though his record warranted it. Later, after he had taken the national singles championship twice and swept Wimbledon in 1939 (singles, men's doubles, mixed doubles), he was still not accorded the respect that contemporaries like Don Budge and Fred Perry received. He just did not look or act like a proper champion. The U.S. Lawn Tennis Association was relieved when he finally turned pro.

He was successful on the pro tour for a while, but finally quit when he realized that he was not going to beat Jack Kramer consistently. He tried tennis promotion, beginning with Kramer and Pancho Gonzales and later with Gussie Moran. When Gussie's tour went limp, he secretly slit her famous frilled panties with a razor blade and told her about it when she was on the court. "When you stand in front of the press seats, bend over and that'll start some action." Riggs was furious when Gussie refused.

Finally he settled down with Priscilla on Long Island, sinking uneasily into obscurity and the corporate life. There was plenty of money and comfort, but no jollies, no applause, no reporters seeking hot copy from him. So eventually he drifted into his orbit of betting and senior tournaments. He is probably as surprised as anyone else at his rebirth this year.

That blessed event was midwifed by the match with Court and the vast interest it created in the Riggs shtik. An ecstatic Bobby suddenly captured the fame that had eluded him even when he was the nation's top amateur tennis player in the late 1930s. After he signed with Promoter Jerry Perenchio, president of Tandem Productions* (Maude, All in the Family, Sanford & Son), Tandem sent him on a promotional trip to Beverly Hills.