Margaret Court: The unpleasant visit of the old lady
50 years after her Grand Slam victory, Margaret Court will be honored at the Australian Open on Monday. Despite her tirades against homosexuals and transgender people.
by SID
last edit: Jan 26, 2020, 07:46 am
Margaret Court couldn't keep to herself. Next Monday, she revealed in a radio interview on the first day of the tournament at the Australian Open, she would receive the long-deserved recognition. The announcement noticeably caused discomfort, especially among those responsible for the tournament and the Australian Tennis Association, which is the same in this case. They didn't want a stir. Because one of the greatest tennis players in history is also a hate preacher.
With her 24 individual titles at the four Grand Slams between 1960 and 1973, Court is still the record winner, she was an idol in Australia, famous, revered, and showered with awards. It was also less than four weeks ago that the 77-year-old once again rioted in front of the evangelical community in Perth against gays, homosexuals and transgender people. "The devil" drove into these people, homosexuality a godless "lust of the flesh". And and and.
Navratilova on Court: "Outstanding tennis player and a homophobic racist"
Court founded a Pentecostal Church 25 years ago and has been a pastor there ever since. Their tirades are not new - nor is the outcry about them. Martina Navratilova, whose outing dates back 40 years, has described Court as "a once outstanding tennis player and a homophobic racist". Three-time Wimbledon champion John McEnroe accused Court of trying to "take us back to the deepest Middle Ages" after one of her ugly outages.
Judging soberly, Court is honored on Monday for winning the 1970 Grand Slam, the four tournaments in Australia, Paris, Wimbledon and New York within one year. Craig Tiley, head of the tournament and the association, assures that it will stay that way. There is a difference between "recognizing something" and "celebrating someone", he emphasized. That means: Margaret Court's performance is recognized - not Margaret Court.
"We made it clear to Margaret that we didn't share her views," Tiley said. Tennis is a sport that is "open to everyone". Not without a certain pride, he pointed out that the association has hosted the "Grand Slam", an international tournament for lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people for the third time: The finals will take place on February 2, the last tournament day of the Australian Open, held at Court 3 in Melbourne Park.
Court: "Be Persecuted Because I Teach The Bible"
Discussions about Court continue, of course, and there are voices like Navratilova's demanding that their name be erased from Melbourne Park's second largest arena. For the time being, this is not an option, says Tiley. And in the changing room? "Not an issue," reports Angelique Kerber. But: After Rod Laver was honored for his 1969 Grand Slam victory last year and was then able to hand over the winning trophy to Novak Djokovic, Court is only a spectator when the Daphne Akhurst Trophy is handed over on February 1.
On Monday, when Tennis Australia invited her to the facility for the first time since 2017, Court confidently emphasized: "So many people patted me on the shoulder and said: Thank you for being my voice. I didn't hear anyone say: me hate you." At the same time, she complained: "I am being persecuted because I teach the Bible." Navratilova then blasphemed on Twitter, now say one for which homosexuals and transgender people are "infected with the devil".
Not only tournament director Tiley is looking forward to the reactions of the audience on Monday: "The Australian fans are the best in the world", he explained in the sense of: Australia, the cosmopolitan, tolerant Australia, will make his judgment when honoring in the Rod Laver Arena. When Court was chasing a match there on Monday, a banner was repeatedly displayed on the video walls and on television - a banner in the rainbow colors and the inscription "Open4All".