- Margaret Court set to attend 2024 Australian Open
- Hasn’t been seen at Melbourne Park since 2020
- Strong anti-gay views make her a divisive figure
Controversial Australian tennis great Margaret Court is poised to attend the Australian Open for the first time since 2020 in week two of the tournament.
Court – known for her strong anti-gay views – will be joined at Melbourne Park by the likes of fellow homegrown legends Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall and Frank Sedgman.
The 81-year-old Court is unlikely to be well received by tennis fans, with calls increasing in recent years for the arena named in her honour to be given a new title.
Tennis legends John McEnroe and Martina Navratilova – who is openly gay – famously pushed for it to be renamed in honour of Evonne Goolagong in 2020.
Navratilova then went a step further, accusing Court of ‘hateful and hurtful speech’ following historical comments from the Aussie which raised plenty of eyebrows.
Polarising Australian tennis great Margaret Court is poised to attend the Australian Open for the first time since 2020
Fellow tennis legend Martina Navratilova accused Court of ‘hateful and hurtful speech’ in 2020 after she labelled same-sex marriage a ‘trend’
John McEnroe was also stunned by Court’s blunt views, and compared her to a ‘crazy aunt’
‘When Margaret goes out of her way to single out a group of people and tell them they don’t deserve equal rights, that they are less than good parents, that they are not godly, that’s not merely free speech,’ she said.
‘Why not pick someone whom every child can look up to and want to emulate – a champion who inspires and motivates young and old to do their best and be their best every day?
‘For me, that person is Evonne Goolagong.’
Goolagong, 72 – who won multiple Australian Open titles in her decorated career – told Channel Nine’s Today program on Wednesday that she is looking forward to seeing Court in person.
‘Margaret helped me during my early years [on tour] and when I played in Western Australia, I stayed with Margaret and [husband] Barry, and they really looked after me,’ she said.
‘I’m looking forward to seeing her, she’s still an old friend.’
In 2017, Court – a Christian pastor – shocked countless tennis identities and supporters after she boldly declared tennis was ‘full of lesbians’.
She also previously labelled gay marriage ‘a trend’ and the 24-time Grand Slam winner also stated her belief that transgender athletes have no place in professional sport.
Martina Navratilova and John McEnroe’s on court protest in relation to Margaret Court at the Australian Open in 2020 divided tennis fans
US Indie music sensation Phoebe Bridgers has made her feeling on Margaret Court well known
Court won 24 Grand Slam titles across her career – including all four on offer in 1970
But despite plenty of negative headlines, Court wouldn’t be deterred.
She confirmed at the time she preaches in her work as a religious minister that ‘marriage is between a man and a woman’, and that ‘children need a mother and a father … as God ordained it that way’.
In February last year, US Indie music sensation Phoebe Bridgers labelled Court a ‘stupid c**t’ in relation to her anti-LGTQI+ views.
Bridgers played to a sold-out audience at the Melbourne arena bearing the tennis legend’s name – and took time out to lead the crowd in a ‘f**k Margaret Court’ chant, with the vision soon going viral.
Court last attended the Open four years ago to recognise the 50th anniversary of her 1970 Grand Slam, when she won all four majors in the calendar year.
At the Australian Open she was virtually unbeatable, winning a jaw-dropping 11 singles titles – and she was also a prolific winner in women’s doubles and mixed doubles across the course of her career.
