Tennis is a global sport that everyone loves; however, filmmakers in the past doesn’t appreciate much how great of a sport this is. But now, finally, tennis is earning the recognition it deserves in movies and documentary films. You can now find dozens of movies that revolve around tennis.
This list showcases the 13 best tennis movies of all time, and make sure you prepare popcorn as you might be up for a marathon.
1. Strokes of Genius (2018)
English 1h 38m IMDb
Andrew Douglas
Stars: Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Yves Allegro
Strokes of Genius is a documentary film about the epic 2008 Wimbledon match between US champ Roger Federer and young tennis superstar Rafael Nadal.
Everyone called the match “the fight of the century” and “the greatest rivalry of all time” because of the tension and great sportsmanship between the two players.
Strokes of Genius is among the best tennis movies out there, and it will be a loss if you don’t watch this phenomenal battle between prodigies.
2. Untold: Breaking Point (2021)
English 1h 8m IMDb
Chapman Way, Maclain Way
Stars: Mardy Fish, Kevin O’Connor, Tom Fish
The Untold: Breaking Point is a documentary film about Mardy Fish, a star tennis player in the United States.
The story covers his 2010 ATP tour and how he rose to be the top American tennis athlete in the World Tour Finals in 2011. However, Mardy’s triumph came in vain when he was diagnosed with a severe anxiety disorder that made him pull out of huge competition in 2012.
Will there be a bright side to this tragedy? Can Mardy overcome this big challenge? Or will he remain stuck to the deepest of his anxiety?
3. King Richard (2021)
English 2h 24m IMDb
Reinaldo Marcus Green
Stars: Will Smith, Aunjanue Ellis, Jon Bernthal
King Richard is a semi-autobiography and sports film that focuses on Richard, the father of Venus and Serena who are naturally talented in tennis. This film highlights how self-centered Richard is in planning his daughters’ life, on how he wants them to be. You will
King Richard will make you feel relaxed yet angry at the same time. And although it revolves around how Richard wants to make his daughters the best players in the tennis world, there are specific scenes that involve his wife’s side that will surely make you tear up.
4. Citizen Ashe (2021)
English 1h 34m IMDb
Rex Miller, Sam Pollard
Stars: Johnnie Ashe, Beth Barnes, Loretta Burnette
Citizen Ashe is an eye-opening documentary film about the first African-American citizen that won the U.S. Open Tennis Tournament in Wimbledon, Arthur Ashe. Here, you will see never-before-seen footage of Ashe as he fought for his tennis career and humanitarian acts.
Citizen Ashe is a heart-warming film that will also capture the viewers’ hearts because of how determined and passionate Ashe is about sports and global activism. You will catch a glimpse of how Ashe fought for the social change the world needed.
5. 7 Days in Hell (2015)
English 43m IMDb
Jake Szymanski
Stars: Andy Samberg, Kit Harington, Fred Armisen
7 Days in Hell is a mockumentary that shows an epic tennis match between champions Aaron Williams and Charles Poole, who fought for seven days straight. The film is starred by famous actors Andy Samberg and Kit Harington.
7 Days in Hell will give you an endless laugh while letting you enjoy your favorite sport, tennis. The film is 42 minutes long and is considered a comedy special instead of a movie. It is fast-paced and will surely spare no room for boredom as every minute has something for its audience.
6. Borg vs McEnroe (2017)
English, Swedish, French, Spanish, German 1h 47m IMDb
Janus Metz
Stars: Sverrir Gudnason, Shia LaBeouf, Stellan Skarsgård
This film follows the heart-pounding match between two tennis superstars, Björn Borg and John McEnroe. Here, it shows the career highlight of the phenomenal and undefeated champion Borg. And in 1980, the fight of the century happened when Borg was attempting to earn his fifth straight Wimbledon win with ferocious and rising star McEnroe.
How will the match turn out? Will Borg successfully keep his undefeated record? Or will McEnroe be the next world tennis champion?
7. Venus and Serena (2012)
English 1h 39m IMDb
Maiken Baird, Michelle Major
Stars: Raul Arevalo, Arthur AsheVictoria Azarenka
This documentary film revolves around the tennis hotshots Venus and Serena Williams. These two sistersàà have been undefeated for over a decade, which earned them numerous trophies and awards from multiple major championships. However, their lives came to their hardest when Serena was diagnosed with a life-threatening disease while Venus was battling an autoimmune disorder.
The Venus & Serena film is a heartfelt drama that highlights the intense and most intimidating moments of the Williams sisters. How would they overcome this tragedy? Would they give up? or will their bond be stronger than these hurdles?
8. Battle of the Sexes (2017)
English 2h 1m IMDb
Jonathan Dayton, Valerie Faris
Stars: Emma Stone, Steve Carell, Andrea Riseborough
Battle of the Sexes shows the true story of Billie Jean King, who was the women’s tennis champ in 1972. The film revolves around Billie’s personal life and her fight with former men’s tennis champ Bobby Riggs.
The battle between the two aims to determine what sex makes the greatest athlete. And with this, Billie fights to crush the world’s unfair treatment and discrimination towards women.
Before watching Battle of the Sexes, it is important to note that this film is strongly pro-homosexual as Billie cheated on her husband with a woman. There are a lot of scenes that show Billie’s lesbian love affair and lustful acts.
9. Final Set
French 1h 45m IMDb
Quentin Reynaud
Stars: Alex Lutz, Ana Girardot, Kristin Scott Thomas
Final Set is a french sports drama that follows the life of a professional tennis prodigy, Thomas Edison.
Thomas had an upsetting life. He was always close but, at the same time, far away from becoming a world champion. Everyone calls him a prodigy, but something isn’t right; he always ends up failing miserably.
And at 37, he decided to give tennis one last shot. He registered for the qualifying rounds in the French Open Tennis Championships. Here, he will give his all despite his fractured knee and declining physical fitness.
10. Wimbledon (2004)
English, Italian 1h 38m IMDb
Richard Loncraine
Stars: Kirsten Dunst, Paul Bettany, Jon Favreau
Wimbledon is a must-watch for everyone who loves a touch of romance in a sports film. The movie circles around Peter Colt, portrayed by Paul Bettany, a pro tennis player who never got a champ title even once. Due to his hopelessness of reaching the top, he decided to fight one last time at Wimbledon.
However, through his journey, he meets a woman named Lizzie Bradbury, who’s going to play a significant part in his life. Will their meeting lead to a love story of a lifetime? Or will it be the other way around?
11. The Prince of Tennis (2006)
Japanese 1h 51m IMDb
Yûichi Abe
Stars: Kanata Hongô, Yu Shirota, Hiroki Aiba
The Prince of Tennis is a live-action movie from the anime “Tennis no oujisama” that is famous around the globe.
Its story follows a 12-year-old boy, Ryoma Echizen, who is a prodigy in the field of tennis. He has won multiple American Junior Tennis tournaments, making him among the best tennis players of his age.
However, Ryoma’s great life in America ended when his father, Nanjiroh, asked him to come to Japan and enroll in Seishun Academy. Here, he will meet outstanding players like him that will completely change his life.
12. When Billie Beat Bobby (2001)
English, Spanish, Japanese 1h 30m IMDb
Jane Anderson
Stars: Holly Hunter, Ron Silver, Matt Letscher
This film is similar to the “Battle of the Sexes” film as this revolves around star player Billie Jean King and former tennis big shot Bobby Riggs. However, this film focuses more on their interaction and highlights the battle between them.
With their match’s intense and shocking result, people started questioning and throwing comment after comment. So how did the match go? Did Billie win? Or did she miserably fail and strain the women’s movement in the sports industry?
13. Break Point (2014)
English 1h 30m IMDb
Jay Karas
Stars: Jeremy Sisto, David Walton, Adam Devine
Break Point follows the tennis life of two estranged brothers, Jeremy Sisto and David Walton.
The movie shows how Jeremy miserably fails in the doubles team because of his man-child attitude and reckless behavior. Because no one partners with him anymore and his career is slowly fading. So, he had no other option but to turn to his estranged brother, who also played tennis, to pair up with him.
Now, this is where the fun begins. Will Jeremy save his career? Or face a devastating loss and quit tennis?
14. Love Means Zero (2017)
English 1h 29m IMDb
Jason Kohn
Stars: Nick Bollettieri, Andre AgassiCarling Bassett
This documentary film is about Nick Bollettieri, a legendary coach who raised a generation of phenomenal tennis athletes.
Love Means Zero will show Nick’s success and a great relationship with his student, Andre Agassi. Agassi, during his time with Nick as his coach, has won numerous tournaments and become a rising tennis champion.
This success then pleased Nick the most, as he wanted to dominate the tennis world. However, due to his drive for greatness, Nick suffered from a great loss and broken relationships.
Summary
There might not be much of tennis films available on the internet today, but these 13 best tennis movies are enough to satisfy your inner sports-enthusiast soul. We hope this list will give you a great time and a good watch for you and your family or friends.