Tennis legend Margaret Court has broken her silence over the drama surrounding the ‘GOAT’ debate with the recently-retired Serena Williams, claiming the US star has ‘never admired her’ despite the fact she holds the record for most Grand Slam titles.
The 80-year-old is considered by many to be the greatest female player of all time (GOAT) after winning 24 slams and a total of 192 titles in an illustrious career.
Williams retired just one slam short of Court’s record, though bizarrely claimed in the lead-up to the US Open that she’d ‘already broken the record’, citing the fact 13 of Court’s wins came in the amateur era.
The Aussie has previously declined to comment on Williams’ assertion that she in fact was the greatest female player of all time, but enough was enough on Sunday.
When Williams bowed out of the US Open, and tennis altogether, last week; stars of all walks of life, be they movie, tennis or icons like Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama rushed to congratulate her on being the ‘greatest of all time’.
It was a rush of content unparalleled for a female athlete, with even US Open organisers flashing up ‘greatest of all time’ on the electronic tickers at the stadium.
Again, this is despite Court winning the most Grand Slams.
When you take into account her entire record at the Major events – singles, doubles and mixed – Court has won 64 matches to Williams’ 39, a huge difference between the pair on the biggest of stages.
Yet Court, and her outstanding record, have been completely glossed over and almost airbrushed from history over the past decade or so.
Margaret Court holds the Australian Open trophy, something she won 11 times, in 2020
This is likely due to her controversial and outspoken views, particularly after she tried to spearhead the vote against gay marriage being legalised in Australia, then announced she was boycotting Qantas because of their support for the LGBTQI+ community.
The Aussie tennis legend and Pentecostal Minister said she has copped ‘a lot of bullying’ over her beliefs; and while they are controversial and hurtful to many, they are not illegal, and certainly do not change what she achieved in tennis.
While fellow tennis great, and gay woman, Martina Navratilova called her views ‘frightening’, Court refuses to back down – and insists her beliefs should have no bearing on the ‘GOAT’ debate.
‘I became a Christian when I was No 1 in the world. You will never change me from that,’ she said.
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