Bobby Riggs Quotes

I’ve got to have a bet going in order to play my best.

I like women. I like them so much, I think every man should own two.

I once played amateur tournament tennis six months without double-faulting.

Billie Jean just caught me on a bad day.

I know beating a woman isn’t like winning seven gold medals. But how many old guys are there in the world? You think they can relate to Mark Spitz? They relate to me, Bobby Riggs.

I am the greatest money player in history.

Women play about twenty-five percent as good as men, so they should get about twenty-five percent of the money men get.

I always rise to the occasion for that big bet.

This Martina Navratilova is a real champion, but with the proper training, I can make miracles happen.

I like to bet on as close to a sure thing as you can find.

I’m like a fire hose when the alarm goes off in a battle against a woman. Don’t ever count me out.

I never quit hustling.

I never had any initiative or drive to be a success in business.

I am the finest defensive player in the game.

All my life, everything has been a contest.

I have to admit, I underestimated Billie Jean and overestimated myself.

If I can’t play for big money, I play for a little money. And if I can’t play for a little money, I stay in bed that day.

That’s the trouble with the women’s game. Those women think they’re men, and they go off hitting all over the place. They’d be better off if they’d played like women.

The proudest thing I have ever done was to win the singles, doubles, and mixed doubles at Wimbledon.

When I don’t enjoy it anymore, I’ll stop. But I think as long as people want me to be where the action is, I’ll be there. I just love to play tennis.

If you’re betting all the time, everything is just another bet. You don’t even think about the money after you’ve made the arrangements. You’re used to it.

It’s no disgrace to play against the world’s champions and lose by one service break in the last two sets.

The bigger the bet, the better I played.

Ali reversed the decision in a second fight with Joe Frazier. That’s what would happen if I played Billie Jean again.

Women who can, do. Those who can’t become feminists.

To be a winner, you’ve got to be an appraiser. You’ve got to be able to play at your best under pressure. And more money creates more pressure. Money is the finest fuel in the world.

The best poker game is seven-card stud, high-low splits. I mean, it’s the best if you don’t have to declare high or low, and can win it all with a low straight.

Billie Jean King is one of the all-time tennis greats; she’s one of the superstars. She’s ready for the big one, but she doesn’t stand a chance against me. Women’s tennis is so far beneath men’s tennis; that’s what makes the contest with a 55-year-old man the greatest contest of all time.

I’ll never play for more than I can afford to lose.

My philosophy is to make an offer that the other guy can’t refuse, because he thinks there’s no way he can’t win.