Tennis Australia will recognize but not celebrate the 50th anniversary of Margaret Court’s grand slam year, as the sport’s governing body seeks to contain the latest crisis surrounding its all-time greatest player.
Court is planning to attend the t…
Tennis Australia will recognize but not celebrate the 50th anniversary of Margaret Court’s grand slam year, as the sport’s governing body seeks to contain the latest crisis surrounding its all-time greatest player.
Court is planning to attend the tournament after publicly calling on Tennis Australia to honor her anniversary at next year’s Australian Open in the same way it lauded Rod Laver’s 1969 grand slam during this year’s tournament.
Tennis Australia will formally recognize her rare achievement in winning all four major singles titles in a calendar year.
However, there will be no celebration of Court.
The icy relationship between Tennis Australia and Court is a product of her vocal opposition to homosexuality and gay marriage, which this year prompted her career rival, Billie Jean King, to call for her name to stripped from the Margaret Court Arena at Melbourne Park.
The former tennis champion Margaret Court has claimed “tennis is full of lesbians” following a row over remarks she made previously about gay marriage. She added that transgender children were the work of “the devil”.
Court’s earlier comments opposing same-sex marriage sparked furious debate about whether the show court named in her honor at Melbourne Park should be changed. However, she said that attempts to remove her name from it were “bullying”.
In an interview with Vision Christian Radio, Court claimed that a “gay lobby” was trying to “get [into] the minds of children” through Australia’s Safe Schools anti-bullying program.
“Tennis is full of lesbians. Even when I was playing there were only a couple there but those couple that led took young ones into parties,” Court said. “And what you get at the top is often what you’ll get right through that sport.”
She added: “We’re there to help them overcome. We’re not against the people.”
Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King have called for her name to be stripped from the venue at Melbourne Park, comments which Court said were disappoi..
