Tennis nostalgia at the Toronto International Film Festival

The 2017 Toronto International Film Festival is serving up a volley of tennis nostalgia

The court is a familiar setting for Hollywood dramas, so it’s not surprising that this year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is showcasing some of them, including one as the opening night film that kicked off the event, which runs September 7 to 17. What is surprising, however, is that the characters in these courts are not dressed in sharp suits or judges’ robes. Instead, they are kitted out in tennis outfits, facing off in past contests that shaped not only the future of the sport but also society at large in many ways. 

It’s clearly the year of tennis nostalgia at TIFF, North America’s premier film festival. While it’s unusual enough to find a mainstream Hollywood film about tennis, TIFF this year alone is serving up two-three  features and one feature-length documentary. TIFF’s Artistic Director Cameron Bailey explains: “It’s sheer coincidence. It has nothing to do whatsoever with the fact that I am a massive tennis fan. But really, we just happened to find these films and they’re all exceptional.”

The films cover defining moments in the sport in different decades : 1973 for Battle of the Sexes (BOTS) and 1980 for Borg/McEnroe. The documentary Love Means Zero tells the story of the famous American coach, Nick Bollettieri, whose tennis academy turned out a stream of stars in the 1990s, including Andre Agassi, Jim Courier and Monica Seles.  

TIFF’s opening film, Borg/McEnroe, recounts one of tennis’s most legendary rivalries, between the unflappable Swede, Bjorn Borg, and the volatile American, John McEnroe. The gentlemanly Borg, who had ruled the courts during the 1970s, was challenged by the tantrum-throwing New Yorker in the 1980 Wimbledon final in what is considered the greatest Wimbledon final ever played. Borg eventually prevailed in five sets, although the result was reversed the following year, as McEnroe began his own reign (See review).

Steve Carell in Battle of the Sexes

BOTS sets up the famous match between former tennis stars Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King, which became one of the most watched televised sports events, with its promise of not only a contest between tennis champions but also what the film’s title describes. In 1973, Riggs was well past his prime, while King was at her peak. Both were also undergoing turmoil in their personal lives. King struggling with her sexuality — she later announced she was a lesbian — and Riggs with his gambling problems and craving for media attention. The lead roles are played by Oscar winner Emma Stone and Oscar nominee Steve Carell. 

Nick Bollettieri in scene from Love Means Zero

In the light of the sexual revolution and the feminist movement, the Riggs-King match became a metaphor for much more beyond a tennis contest between a man and a woman. When Riggs declared that women’s tennis was inferior and went on to beat the then top female player, Margaret Court, King, who had already been lobbying for more money and tournaments for women, felt compelled to step up and prove Riggs wrong. 

Equally, it’s not hard to see that the husband-and-wife directing team of Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton (Little Miss Sunshine) saw their film as a metaphor for more than all the metaphors the historic tennis match stood for. BOTS was meant to be released into a different political scenario in the US, with the last presidential election serving as a re-enactment of the battle of the sexes, as Faris admits: “We started work on the project during the 2016 primaries, when it appeared likely we’d see the first woman candidate for president.” 

Jim Courier in scene from Love Means Zero

Love Means Zero spotlights yet another colourful tennis character from the past. At 86, the eight times married, Florida-based Bollettieri is a larger-than-life personality whose relentless drive for perfection came at a steep personal price. 

The current generation of tennis fans worldwide have known only the dominance of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and the Williams sisters — champion players all, but not exactly dramatic personalities. The serving up of this surfeit of tennis nostalgia this year, complete with rivetting characters and stories, can only kindle more interest in the sport’s history among devoted and casual fans alike. It’s advantage tennis.