Tennis Australia to honour Margaret Court but not without a serve

Tennis Australia will today announce that Margaret Court will be welcomed to Melbourne Park to celebrate the 50th anniversary of her winning all four Grand Slams in 1970, but it will also publicly condemn her views on equality.

Tennis great Margaret Court has accepted an invitation to next year’s Australian Open, despite the game’s governing body slamming her personal views.

Tennis Australia will on Saturday announce Court will be welcomed to Melbourne Park to celebrate the 50th anniversary of her winning all four Grand Slams in 1970.

But despite promising to fete Court, like fellow Aussie tennis legend Rod Laver for the 50th anniversary of his Grand Slam last year, TA will also publicly condemn her views on equality.

The Herald Sun can reveal TA has taken the extraordinary step of drafting an open letter to tell fans it respects Court’s sporting history but not her views.

SEE THE FULL OPEN LETTER BELOW

Margaret Court. Picture: Colin Murty

“Tennis Australia does not agree with Margaret’s personal views, which have demeaned and hurt many in our community over a number of years,” it said in a statement last night. “They do not align with our values of equality, diversity and inclusion.”

TA will also release “guiding principles” acknowledging “not just our champions, but everyone who plays our sport”.

“The philosophy and culture of our sport goes deeper than winning and setting records,” the open letter states. “We seek to foster a sport that is inclusive and welcoming of everyone.”

TA said Court would “participate in a significant program of events” at next year’s Open, including ceremonies on courts.

In a statement, Court said she was “looking forward to celebrating the 50th anniversary of winning the Grand Slam with my family and friends at the Australian Open.

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“This is an incredible milestone for me, and I can’t quite believe how quickly the time has gone.

“It’s always wonderful to catch up with my fellow legends and I’m grateful to Tennis Australia.”

A mini-documentary, in-stadium entertainment, the annual Australian Open Legends Lunch and other honours await Court at the Open.

Sources last night said there were no plans to rename Margaret Court Arena.

FULL OPEN LETTER FROM TENNIS AUSTRALIA

Given the interest in the 50th anniversary of tennis legend Margaret Court’s Grand Slam, we felt it would be worthwhile to share the guiding principles we use at Tennis Australia in acknowledging not just our champions, but everyone who plays our sport.

Tennis Australia recognises the champions in our sport as a matter of course, whether it be stadium names, naming of parks, statues around the country and trophies and awards during a player’s career. We celebrate sporting heroes who inspire and motivate people through the generations, and who are lauded and respected widely by their peers and the broader community.

As with other great sports in this country and elsewhere, it is common practice to draw a distinction between recognising champions and celebrating heroes, and it is an important distinction.

Australia is fortunate that Margaret Court’s extraordinary playing achievements form part of our national tennis history.

Naturally, we will be recognising Margaret and her incredible tennis record, and contrary to many reports, there is no plan to ‘rewrite history’. As she is aware, planning has been in the works for some time, with interviews and filming having taken place in her home in June this year, along with other opportunities which will be announced closer to the time.

Margaret and her family have been invited to the Australian Open in January. Her outstanding playing career is her tennis legacy and clearly worthy of recognition. We will continue to communicate with Margaret, as we have for many years, regarding events, our recognition of her achievement, our sport and its culture.

However, the philosophy and culture of our sport goes deeper than winning and setting records. We seek to foster a sport that is inclusive and welcoming of everyone. We all bear some responsibility for creating a safe and inclusive society. As a sport, tennis is unwavering in playing our part.

As we have often communicated to Margaret, we respect that everyone has a right to an opinion - and a right to express it. Equally, we all share an obligation that while living our lives freely, we do not harm others, and we understand that there are consequences to our words. Publicly stated views of intolerance and demeaning language about others can have enormous impact, and are particularly hurtful and harmful to those who believe they are targeted. We have a big responsibility as a sport to play a leadership role in supporting an inclusive community, and respecting the rights of all Australians, whether or not they play our great sport.

Similarly, we believe any public figure has a big responsibility to ensure their views are expressed in a way that demonstrates respect and tolerance, and does not cause harm to, or degrade others.

As a sport, tennis is unwavering in playing our part to ensure an inclusive society. We cannot condone views that fracture our incredible tennis community, nor indeed, the wider community.

It is with all of this in mind that we will continue to promote and celebrate inclusiveness and diversity. We are vocal and proud of our efforts to welcome all sections of our community to all levels of our sport. The tennis court and club should be a place of fun and comfort to everyone, where people from all walks of life get to know each other without fear of judgement or harassment. Inclusivity is at the very core of what we do and that also involves creating an environment where people feel comfortable to be themselves and live their lives as they see fit without causing harm to others.

We look forward to seeing everyone during the summer.

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