If you walked onto a tennis court in 1975, you weren't just stepping into a match; you were entering a cultural battlefield. It was messy. It was loud. Honestly, it was kind of a miracle that the sport survived its own transition from country club politeness to the rock-star chaos of the Open Era. Tennis players of the 70s didn't just play for trophies; they played for the soul of the game, dragging it kicking and screaming into the living rooms of millions.
People forget how fast it happened. Before 1968, pros couldn't even play in the Grand Slams. By 1973, Billie Jean King was beating Bobby Riggs in front of 90 million people on TV. It was a decade of wood rackets, short shorts, and some of the most genuinely unhinged rivalries in sports history.
The Night the Game Changed
You can't talk about this era without mentioning the "Battle of the Sexes." It sounds like a gimmick now, right? A 55-year-old hustler versus a woman in her prime. But back then, the stakes were basically everything. Billie Jean King knew that if she lost to Riggs, the newly formed Women's Tennis Association (WTA) would probably fold before it even started. She won in straight sets at the Houston Astrodome. That single match did more for the visibility of women's sports than the previous fifty years of activism combined. It made tennis players of the 70s feel like celebrities rather than just athletes.
Jimmy Connors and the Art of Being Hated
Jimmy Connors was the guy you loved to hate, or maybe you just hated him. He didn't care. He played with a T-2000 steel racket while everyone else was still clinging to their Wilson Jack Kramers made of wood. It sounded different. It felt different. Connors brought a street-fighter mentality to the baseline. He wouldn't just beat you; he’d try to embarrass you, grunting and screaming and playing every point like his life depended on it.
In 1974, Connors had arguably the greatest season any male player has ever had. He won the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. He didn't play the French Open because he was banned for signing a contract with World Team Tennis. Think about that. He could have had the Calendar Grand Slam. He was 93-4 that year. That's a level of dominance that feels almost impossible in the modern era of high-tech strings and sports science.
Ice and Fire: The Björn Borg Phenomenon
Then came the Swede.
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Björn Borg was the total opposite of Connors. He was "Ice Borg." He didn't show emotion. He just sat on the baseline and hit heavy topspin—something that was supposed to be impossible with a small wood racket. Most players back then were serve-and-volleyers. They’d chip the return and charge the net. Borg stayed back. He ran everything down. He turned tennis into a game of endurance.
Teenage girls would literally scream at his matches like he was a Beatle. It was "Borgmania." Between 1974 and 1980, he won the French Open and Wimbledon back-to-back three times in a row. Transitioning from the slow red clay of Paris to the lightning-fast grass of London in just a few weeks is the hardest feat in tennis. Borg made it look like a casual Sunday stroll.
The Complexity of Chris Evert
While the men were screaming, Chris Evert was dissecting people with surgical precision. She was the "Ice Maiden." Evert brought the two-handed backhand into the mainstream. Before her, almost everyone hit a one-hander. Now? Try finding a top ten WTA player who doesn't use two hands.
Her rivalry with Martina Navratilova started in the 70s, though it peaked in the 80s. Evert was the baseline queen. She once won 125 consecutive matches on clay. Read that again. One hundred and twenty-five. From 1973 to 1979, she didn't lose a single match on dirt. It’s a record that even Rafael Nadal hasn't touched.
The Tech Gap Nobody Talks About
We talk about the personalities, but we rarely talk about the gear. Tennis players of the 70s were the last generation to truly master the wood racket. Have you ever tried to hit a modern 100mph serve with a wood frame? The sweet spot is about the size of a postage stamp. If you miss-hit it by a fraction of an inch, the vibration travels straight up your arm like an electric shock.
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- The Wood Era: Heavy, small heads, required perfect timing.
- The Transition: Aluminum and steel (like the T-2000) started appearing, offering more power but less control.
- The Strategy: Because the equipment was so unforgiving, the 70s was the peak of "touch" tennis. Drop shots, lobs, and volleys weren't just flair; they were survival tactics.
Arthur Ashe and the Weight of History
Arthur Ashe winning Wimbledon in 1975 remains one of the most intellectually brilliant matches ever played. He was facing Connors, who was much younger and hitting the ball much harder. Ashe knew he couldn't outpower him. So, he "junkballed" him. He hit soft, low slices. He gave Connors no pace to work with. He frustrated the most aggressive player in the world into making errors.
Ashe wasn't just a player, though. He was a diplomat. He used his platform to fight apartheid in South Africa and to push for racial equality in a sport that was still very much a "white's only" club in many parts of the world.
Why Does This Decade Matter Now?
You see the 70s everywhere in today's game. Every time a player hits a heavy topspin forehand from six feet behind the baseline, that's Borg’s legacy. Every time a player lets out a primal scream after a winner, that's Connors. The fashion, the big personalities, the idea of the "tennis celebrity"—it all started there.
The 70s also saw the birth of the ATP rankings in 1973. Before that, you basically just had to take people's word for who was the best. The rankings brought a mathematical legitimacy to the sport. It turned tennis into a professional circuit rather than a series of exhibition matches.
Real Talk: The Limitations of the 70s
It wasn't all perfect. The prize money was still laughable compared to today. In 1970, Margaret Court won the Grand Slam (all four majors in one year) and her total prize money was roughly $15,000. For the whole year. Players had to play doubles, mixed doubles, and exhibitions just to pay for their travel.
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The surfaces were also different. The US Open was played on grass, then clay (Har-Tru), then hard courts, all within the same decade. Imagine the toll that takes on your knees.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Players
If you want to truly appreciate what these athletes did, you should actually try to find a vintage wood racket at a thrift store and take it to a wall. You'll realize within five minutes that the "short" swings and "simple" styles of 70s players weren't a choice—they were a necessity.
- Study the Footwork: Since they couldn't rely on racket power, 70s pros had arguably better footwork than many modern juniors. Look at tapes of Evonne Goolagong. She "flowed" across the court.
- Vary Your Pace: Most modern players hit one speed: hard. Revisit the matches of Arthur Ashe to see how "changing the look" of the ball can dismantle a power hitter.
- Embrace the Rivalry: Tennis is better when there is a narrative. The 70s taught us that the sport needs heroes and villains to capture the public imagination.
Tennis players of the 70s weren't just athletes; they were pioneers who broke the sport wide open. They proved that a "gentleman's game" could handle fire, fury, and a whole lot of tie-beakers.
How to Deepen Your Knowledge
If you’re looking to dive deeper into this specific era, skip the generic highlight reels. Go to YouTube and search for the full 1977 Wimbledon final between Björn Borg and Vitas Gerulaitis. It is widely considered one of the highest-quality matches ever played, and it perfectly encapsulates the shift from the old school to the new world.
Also, look for the book A Handful of Summers by Gordon Forbes. It’s a first-hand account of life on the tour during this transition, and it’s arguably the best sports book ever written. It captures the humor, the poverty, and the sheer joy of being a pro when the world was just starting to notice that tennis was cool.
The Bottom Line
The 1970s was the decade tennis grew up. It went from a niche hobby for the wealthy to a global powerhouse. We owe the current state of the game—the multi-million dollar contracts, the stadium sell-outs, and the professional standards—to the men and women who wore headbands, swung wood, and refused to play by the old rules.
Next Steps for You: 1. Watch "The 79 Wimbledon Final" on a large screen to see the speed of the grass back then.
2. Research the "Original 9" to understand how women’s professional tennis was actually founded through a $1 contract.
3. Compare the 1975 ATP Rankings to today’s list; you’ll be surprised how many names from the 70s still hold records that haven't been broken.