"A lot of press and television today don’t want to mention my name, the honour has not been there for what I did" - Margaret Court on being a tennis outcast despite holding the all-time record for most Slams
Margaret Court, holder of an all-time record 24 Grand Slam titles, should be hailed as a sports icon for all that she has accomplished on the tennis court. But some very controversial opinions on race relations and the LGBTQ+ community has made the Australian an outcast, to the point that even her home Grand Slam doesn't give her the honor she deserves.
That is what the 80-year-old believes, speaking in a recent interview with The Telegraph. The 24-time Grand Slam champion remarked that she was very saddened by how most media shy away from even mentioning her name, only doing so reluctantly due to her unforgettable track record on the court.
“It’s very sad, because a lot of the press and television today, particularly in tennis, don’t want to mention my name. It’s only when they have to, because I still hold so many records," Court said. "In 2020, I was meant to be coming to Wimbledon for the 50th anniversary of my calendar grand slam. But then Covid hit, so the honour never happened."
Margaret Court on how wonderful apartheid was:
“South Africans have this thing better organised than any other country, particularly America.”
On Martina Navratilova being a lesbian:
“It’s very sad for children to be exposed to homosexuality. Her life has just gone astray.” twitter.com/oliverbrown_te…
The last time Court was seen in the public eye was during Wimbledon's recent centennial celebrations, but even there, the Australian revealed nobody talked to her, out of fear of backlash. Court pointed out that a similar situation prevails at the other Grand Slams as well, including her home Major in Australia, who do their best not to associate with the former World No. 1 when possible.
"The French Open didn’t invite me, the US Open didn’t invite me. Rod Laver had won the Slam and I was going to be honoured in the same way, but no. I didn’t lose any sleep over it," Margaret Court said. "But the honour has not been there for what I did do. In my own nation, I have been given titles, but they would still rather not mention me. I was at Wimbledon this year and nobody even spoke to me."
At the same time, Margaret Court harbors no ill feelings against anyone over that, saying that her transformation as a Christian Minister makes her respect everybody regardless of how they treat her. This is at the core of her beliefs, as the former World No. 1 stressed that everyone deserves to have their own beliefs, irrespective of how antiquated or controversial they are.
“I think a lot of it is because of being a minister and making a stand for my beliefs. I have had a lot of bullying. But we should be able to say what we believe. I’ve got nothing against anybody," Court said. "I respect everybody, I minister to everybody. I love the game still. I teach a lot of young people today, and I use illustrations from tennis about the discipline, the commitment, the focus. Sport brings so much to your life.”
"Even when I’m helping the poor, some companies are not allowed to give my church things because of my name" - Margaret Court
Margaret Court further stated in the interview that she had no regrets whatsoever about her religious entanglement, saying that it has helped her enjoy a wonderful life throughout the years.
"I became a Christian when I was No. 1 in the world. You will never change me from that. This is what I believe and what the Bible says," Margaret Court said. "People miss out on the reality, which can be so wonderful in your life. I’m 80 now, and I’ve been blessed with a wonderful family and a wonderful church."
If there’s a silver lining to Serena Williams retiring, it’s that we no longer have to mention Margaret Court with any regularity.
There’s no good reason to be giving this woman a platform to mope about being (deservedly) ostracized because of her hurtful words and actions. twitter.com/oliverbrown_te…
However, the Australian bemoaned the bullying she experienced from LGBT groups on a daily basis, despite the fact that she was helping the poor in her community at every opportunity.
"We put out 100 tonnes of food into the community every week. I love it. I loved my tennis days, I believe it was a gift from God, and I love what I do today," Margaret Court said. "But you still get bullied by LGBT groups. Even when I’m helping the poor, some companies are not allowed to give my church things because of my name.”