The life of tennis legend Bill Tilden could be retold in a movie, reports Variety.

Tilden was the first American to triumph at Wimbledon, having dominated the sport in the 1920s. However, he also had a darker side and apparently died penniless having twice been in jail for sexual offences with teenage boys.

Producer Howard Baldwin is securing finance for the movie Big Bill, written by Frank Deford and based on the novel Big Bill: The Triumphs And The Tragedy.

Baldwin has teamed up with GlennIris Entertainment for the production.