Who is Margaret Court?
Margaret Court is an Australian tennis player who won 24 Grand Slam singles titles, the most in history. She won the calendar-year Grand Slam in 1970 and dominated women's tennis in the 1960s and early 1970s.
Court was born Margaret Smith in Albury, New South Wales, in 1942. She was a tall, powerful player known for her fitness, strong serve and volleying.
She won the Australian Championships 11 times, including seven in a row from 1960 to 1966. Her 24 major singles titles include wins in both the amateur and Open eras.
The 1970 Grand Slam
In 1970, Court won all four Grand Slam singles titles in the same year, becoming the second woman to achieve this. She also won many doubles and mixed doubles titles, giving her a total of 64 major titles.
Court became a Christian minister after retiring and founded a church in Perth. Her public statements about same-sex marriage and LGBTQ issues have caused controversy.
Margaret Court Arena at Melbourne Park is named after her. Her record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles has been matched by Novak Djokovic among men, while no woman has surpassed it.
Did You Know?
Court was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1979.