A defiant Margaret Court has returned to the Australian Open for the first time in four years – just days after she was sensationally slammed by a newspaper columnist as a ‘second class human being’ over her outspoken views.
The controversial Aussie tennis legend, 81, and her husband Barrymore were pictured on Rod Laver Arena watching the women’s quarter final three set thriller between American Coco Gauff and Ukrainian opponent Marta Kostyuk on Tuesday.
It’s the first time Court has attended the tournament since 2020 when the 50th anniversary of her 1970 title win was honoured.
Dressed in a pale pink top, she showed little emotion while sitting next to fellow Aussie tennis legend Rod Laver and his partner Susan Johnson.
News that she was about to end her long absence from the tournament divided commentators and tennis fans last week.
Court, a conservative Christian, has long been the subject of controversy over comments about LGBTI issues, including claiming that being gay is a ‘choice’.
Margaret Court (right) was among the spectators at the Australian Open on Tuesday afternoon. It’s her first appearance at the tournament
Margaret Court (left) sat next to fellow Aussie tennis legend Rod Laver (right) and his partner Susan Johnson (centre)
Court is in Melbourne for the final five days of the grand slam where she won 11 singles and 12 doubles titles between 1960 and 1973.
A court at the Melbourne Park venue – Margaret Court Arena – was named in her honour in 2003.
Court remains the greatest female player of all time with 24 grand slam singles titles- a record that has never been broken by either gender.
Novak Djokovic could be on track to eclipse Court’s all-time record next Sunday night.
The pair are currently level with 24 titles apiece.
Now a church pastor, Court has made headlines in recent years over her anti-gay stance. She made a bold claim in 2017 that tennis was ‘full of lesbians’.
She also previously labelled gay marriage ‘a trend’, labelled trans women as ‘problematic’ – notably in competitive sports – and said being gay is a ‘choice’.
Margaret Court and her husband Barry attended the women’s quarter final three set thriller between American Coco Gauff and Ukrainian opponent Marta Kostyuk
Margaret Court (left) watched on alongside Susan Johnson and fellow legend Rod Laver (right)
Margaret Court looked downcast when she arrived at Perth Airport on Monday to fly to Melbourne
Court’s divisive comments sparked massive backlash from tennis greats and fans who called for Margaret Court Arena to be renamed.
Legends John McEnroe and Martina Navratilova – who is openly gay – were among those who led the push for the court to be renamed.
US fashion icon Anna Wintour also weighed into the saga during in a fiery keynote address at an Australian Open event in 2019 where she took a swipe a Court, saying intolerance has no place in tennis.
‘It is inconsistent for the sport for Margaret Court’s name to be on the stadium that does so much to bring all people together across their differences,’ she said.
‘This much I think is clear to anyone who understands the spirit and joy of the game. Margaret Court was a champion on the court but a meeting point for players of all nations, preferences, and backgrounds should celebrate somebody that was a champion off it as well.’
Margaret Court emerged on Monday leaving Perth with husband Barry days after she was branded as a ‘second class citizen’ by a newspaper columnist
There was further uproar after she received the highest individual honour available in the 2021 Australia Day honours.
Then-Victorian Premier Dan Andrews believed Court wasn’t a worthy recipient due to ‘disgraceful views on same-sex marriage’.
‘I do not support that. I do not believe she should be honoured. I’m sick of having the discussion, in one form or another, every summer,’ Mr Andrews said.
‘But I don’t give out those gongs, that’s a matter for others… you might want to speak to them about why they think those views, which are disgraceful, hurtful and cost lives, should be honoured.’
Margaret Court revealed in November 2019 she didn’t know if the 50th anniversary of her historic Australian Open Grand Slam would be honoured at the upcoming tournament. She’s pictured at the tournament in January 2020- the last time she attended
Margaret Court remains the greatest female player of all time with 24 singles grand slam titles
News that Court was poised to return to the current tournament sparked a fiery war of words last week after newspaper columnist Justin Smith branded her ‘a second class citizen.’
‘She is a first class tennis player, beyond first class, she is magnificent,’ Smith said on Sky News program The Kenny Report.
‘I happen to also think that she’s a second-class human being and has done some dreadful damage and has said some awful things around transgender people and same-sex marriage and I think she is a delusional Jesus freak.’
Host Liz Storer called Smith’s comments ‘disgusting’, before broadcaster Steve Price weighed in.
‘Your comments about Margaret Court are just out of line,’ Price fumed.
‘The woman is an evangelical preacher in WA and that’s her views. If she’s entitled to her views that’s freedom of speech.’
Smith replied: ‘She has pushed those on other people, and I’m just pushing my views on her – why not?’
Margaret Court (right) won 11 singles and 12 doubles titles at the Australian Open. She was in attendance on Tuesday- her first appearance at the grand slam since 2020
Court will be joined at Melbourne Park this week by the likes of fellow homegrown legends Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall and Evonne Goolagong-Cawley.
Goolagong was excited about catching up with her former long-time rival.
‘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,’ Goolagong-Cawley told Channel Nine’s Today show last week.
‘I’m looking forward to seeing her, she’s still an old friend.’
There was drama at Margaret Court Arena on Monday night after a woman interrupted the fourth round clash between Alexander Zverev and Cameron Norrie when a woman threw ‘free Palestine’ leaflets onto the court during play.
A woman threw ‘free Palestine’ leaflets onto Margaret Court Arena during play during fourth round action at the Australian Open on Monday