For someone who holds a world record for 48 years and counts, one would think that it is a fair decision by the Australian government to give Margaret Court the highest honor in the country. In fact, on January 26, the 78-year-old veteran will be handed over to the Australian General Command (AC) Division General. But it is a decision that has not gone down well with many people.
Court ‘s full – time record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles continues in terms of tennis statistics, but its views are on the LGBTQI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queers and intersex) community. ) has given her an infamous image among a large group of fans and former players.
For a few years, it has been called for its name to be removed from the Margaret Court Center – the second largest stadium at Melbourne Park, the venue for the Australian Open.
Now, following the news that she will be awarded the highest honor in the country, there has been a new backdrop.
What did Australian government officials say about the decision?
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has refused to discuss the issue.
“I cannot mention an award made through an independent process that has not been announced or for which I have no official knowledge of these things,” he said.
“These calls will be made on the relevant day (Australia Day). It is a system that recognizes Australians from across the full performance spectrum in this country. So I can’t comment on something speculative. ”
But Victorian Prime Minister Daniel Andrews has slammed the decision.
“I do not support that. I don’t think she has views that are in line with most people across our country who see people, especially from the LGBTQI community, as equal and deserving of respect, dignity and respect. safety, ”he said.
“I don’t think she shares those views and I don’t think she should be respected for that. “
Why is a Court so impartial?
As John McEnroe put it in the ‘Tennis Commissioner’ category for Eurosport, “Margaret Court ‘s list of tennis achievements is just one thing: this is her list of offensive and homophobic statements. ”
Her neutral stance has been admired by the likes of McEnroe, Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King speaking out against the “crazy aunt” (as McEnroe called her) of tennis.
At last year’s Australian Open, when a court was held on the 50th anniversary of her winning the Calendar Grand Slam (the four majors in one year) in 1970, Rod Laver had the event Arena is a controlled event.
In the same competition, after the Legends show match, McEnroe and Navratilova walked in at the Margaret Court Arena holding a banner saying “Evonne Goolagong Arena,” demanding that the stadium be renamed after a seven-time Grand Slam winner.
What are Court statements that have caused uproar over the years?
Court has been very vocal about its anti-gay views.
Back in 2013, when Amanda Judd, French Casey Open Dellacqua partner, was born, Court wrote in an article: “(It is with sadness that I see that this baby seems to have been away from his father. ”
In 2017, when the Australian government was about to legalize same-sex marriages, Court interviewed 20Twenty Vision Christian Radio. She spoke of how tennis is “full of lesbians” and how transgender children were the work of “the devil.”
When Qantas Airlines stood up to support same-sex marriages, she said she would not use the airline as much as possible.
As reported by Western Australia, Court eradicated racism in South Africa and reaffirmed its support for Apartheid.
“Evonne (Goolagong) and I went in there and played for the blacks. My church has 35 cultures and I love them all, ”she said.
In the same report, Navratilova was quoted as saying about the Court’s stance against Apartheid: “Saying that South Africa has handled the ‘situation’ (racial segregation) much better than anywhere else in the world. world, especially the US: what exactly did she mean?
“It is clear who Court is: an incredible tennis player, and racism and homophobe. ”
What has she been doing since retiring?
The court was ordained a Pentecostal minister in 1991. Four years later, she founded the Pentecostal church in Perth, known as the Victory Life Center.
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Where are her achievements today?
Along with her record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles, Court won 19 women’s double majors and 21 mixed double crowns. She is among just three players – along with Navratilova and American player Doris Hart – who won a Boxed Grand Slam set (winning all four Grand Slams in singles, doubles and mixed doubles). But she is the only player to have done it twice.
Currently, Serena Williams, on 23 Grand Slam singles titles, is the only player anywhere near to pass the Court mark.
“See if you can win two more Grand Slams,” McEnroe, in a message to Williams, told Eurosport, “so that we can leave Margaret Court and her offensive views in the past where she is. ”