Spadea was Battle of the Sexes' semi-secret weapon

Battle of the Sexes may not have won the big points at Sunday evening's Golden Globe Awards, and its closing-credits song by Sara Bareilles didn't even garner a nomination, but it remains one of the most ballyhooed films of 2017.

Former ATP World Tour player Vincent Spadea had a little bit to do with that, as it turns out (USC graduate Kaitlyn Christian served as Emma Stone's body double).

The retired Spadea, once ranked as high as No. 18, might be best known for the longest losing streak in ATP history–21 matches between 1999 and 2000. But he played two important roles in the cinematic execution of Battle of the Sexes.

Spadea served as Steve Carell's stunt double (read: performer of actual tennis sequences) on Battle of the Sexes, flicking shots left and right as Carell's Bobby Riggs character faced off against Margaret Court (Jessica McNamee) and then Billie Jean King (Stone) in their respective "battles."

Spadea also served as technical advisor for the film's tennis-hitting scenes on the whole, rendering it a more realistic and exceptional take on playing the game, as opposed to the laughable tennis-court scenes of Kirsten Dunst vehicle and other flicks.

King, the catalyst of the story in real life and its foremost character in the film as well, reportedly wished for Stone to inhabit the role – and, sure enough, she got her "No. 1" pick. From there, Spadea guided the 29-year-old star through her paces on the court.

Should you now find yourself jonesing for more Spadea on film, feel free to check out the film Night Bird from 2012, in which he portrays the role of Vito.

Follow Jon on Twitter @jonscott9.

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