Quiz of the Day
Great Moments in Tennis
Sunday, 20 September 2026
The Battle of the Sexes was played on 20 Sep 1973 — serving up tennis champions, Grand Slams, rivalries and iconic matches.
1. Who defeated Bobby Riggs in the 1973 'Battle of the Sexes' tennis match?
- Martina Navratilova
- Chris Evert
- Billie Jean King
- Margaret Court
Billie Jean King beat 55-year-old former champion Bobby Riggs in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3, on 20 September 1973. King was 29 at the time and had accepted the challenge partly to advance the cause of women's tennis. The victory became a landmark moment in the fight for gender equality in sport.
2. At which arena was the 1973 Battle of the Sexes contested?
- Houston Astrodome
- Wimbledon Centre Court
- Madison Square Garden
- Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The match was staged indoors at the Houston Astrodome in Texas before a crowd of more than 30,000 — one of the largest ever to watch a tennis match in the United States. King was carried into the arena on a feather-adorned litter, while Riggs arrived in a rickshaw pulled by models. The spectacle was as much showmanship as sport.
3. Which Grand Slam tournament is played on grass courts?
- Australian Open
- Wimbledon
- French Open
- US Open
Wimbledon, held in London, is the only Grand Slam still played on grass and is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, first contested in 1877. Its grass surface produces a fast, low bounce that rewards serve-and-volley play. The event maintains a strict all-white clothing rule for competitors.
4. Which Grand Slam tournament is played on clay courts?
- Wimbledon
- US Open
- French Open
- Australian Open
The French Open, played at Roland-Garros in Paris, is the premier clay-court major. Clay slows the ball down and produces a high bounce, favouring baseline players and long rallies. It is widely regarded as the most physically demanding of the four Grand Slams.
5. In tennis scoring, what term is used for a score of zero?
- Fault
- Ace
- Love
- Deuce
A score of zero in tennis is called 'love.' One popular theory holds that it derives from the French word 'l'oeuf,' meaning egg, because a zero resembles an egg's shape. When both players reach 40-40, the score is instead called 'deuce.'
6. Which country did tennis legend Roger Federer represent?
- Austria
- Germany
- Sweden
- Switzerland
Roger Federer, born in Basel in 1981, is one of Switzerland's most celebrated athletes. He won 20 Grand Slam singles titles across a career admired for its elegant, fluid style. Federer retired from professional tennis in 2022 after more than two decades at the top of the game.
7. Rafael Nadal earned the nickname 'King of Clay' for his dominance at which Grand Slam?
- Australian Open
- Wimbledon
- French Open
- US Open
Rafael Nadal of Spain won the French Open a record 14 times, an achievement of dominance unmatched at any single major. His topspin-heavy forehand and relentless movement are perfectly suited to the slow clay of Roland-Garros. He claimed his first title there in 2005 as a teenager.
8. What is the term for a serve the opponent cannot touch, winning the point outright?
- Volley
- Lob
- Smash
- Ace
An ace is a legal serve that the receiver fails to make any contact with, resulting in an instant point for the server. Big servers can send the ball well over 200 kilometres per hour. The men's record for the fastest recorded serve exceeds 260 km/h.
9. Björn Borg won Wimbledon in how many consecutive years from 1976 to 1980?
- Six
- Three
- Four
- Five
Sweden's Björn Borg captured five straight Wimbledon singles titles between 1976 and 1980, a run of grass-court mastery unusual for a player also so dominant on clay. His streak ended in the 1981 final against John McEnroe. Borg retired from the sport remarkably young, at just 26.
10. Steffi Graf completed the rare 'Golden Slam' in 1988. Which country did she represent?
- Germany
- Yugoslavia
- Czechoslovakia
- United States
West Germany's Steffi Graf won all four Grand Slam singles titles plus Olympic gold in a single calendar year in 1988 — the only 'Golden Slam' ever achieved in singles. She finished her career with 22 Grand Slam singles titles. Her powerful forehand earned her the nickname 'Fräulein Forehand.'
11. Which Grand Slam is the final major of the calendar year, held in New York?
- French Open
- Australian Open
- Wimbledon
- US Open
The US Open is played in late summer at Flushing Meadows in New York and closes out the Grand Slam calendar each year. It was the first major to adopt hard courts and to use a tie-break in deciding sets. Night sessions under the lights give it a distinctive, energetic atmosphere.
12. Which men's player holds the record for the most Grand Slam singles titles, with 24?
- Pete Sampras
- Rafael Nadal
- Novak Djokovic
- Roger Federer
Novak Djokovic of Serbia holds the men's record with 24 Grand Slam singles titles, surpassing the previous marks of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. He is also the only man to have won each of the four majors at least three times. His flexibility and return of serve are considered among the best in history.
13. Margaret Court holds the record for the most Grand Slam singles titles by any player. How many did she win?
- 20
- 18
- 24
- 22
Australia's Margaret Court won 24 Grand Slam singles titles, more than any other player, man or woman. Many came before the Open era began in 1968, when professionals were first allowed to compete alongside amateurs. She was the opponent Bobby Riggs defeated earlier in 1973 before losing to Billie Jean King.
14. The 2008 Wimbledon final, often called the greatest match ever, saw Rafael Nadal defeat which opponent?
- Roger Federer
- Novak Djokovic
- Andy Murray
- Andy Roddick
Rafael Nadal beat five-time defending champion Roger Federer 9-7 in the fifth set to win the 2008 Wimbledon final. The epic lasted nearly five hours and finished in near darkness as light faded over Centre Court. It ended Federer's run of five consecutive Wimbledon titles.
15. The longest tennis match in history, played at Wimbledon in 2010, was between John Isner and which player?
- Nicolas Mahut
- Andy Roddick
- Marat Safin
- Feliciano López
John Isner defeated Nicolas Mahut in a first-round match that stretched over three days and lasted 11 hours and 5 minutes. The final set alone reached 70-68, as Wimbledon had no final-set tie-break at the time. The record scoreline remains one of the most extraordinary in the sport's history.