Tennis legend Margaret Court turns back on Australian Open
MARGARET Court has turned her back on this year’s Australian Open after the controversy caused by her comments on same-sex marriage. When crowds pour into the arena, the tennis great will have other plans.
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TENNIS great Margaret Court has turned her back this year’s Australian Open to go crabbing following the controversy her gay marriage comments incited.
Australia’s greatest female tennis player has also issued a warning to any players thinking of boycotting playing on the court named after her at Melbourne’s tennis centre.
“I think that is petty if they do that and it says what’s in their heart,” she said.
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“I think that’s very childish — but that’s not up to me and it doesn’t affect me.”
Despite being smashed globally over her gay marriage comments, Court remains defiant and said gay marriage is a trend and Australia “will pay” for its decision to allow same-sex couples to wed.
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There were calls last year to rename Margaret Court Arena after she caused outrage with comments she would boycott Qantas as a protest against the airline’s support for same-sex marriage.
Politicians, other sporting greats, actors and even the arena operator slammed the Christian pastor over her stance.
But she was unmoved describing those who attacked her opinion as bullies. Court yesterday denied she was avoiding the Australian Open after the controversy and Tennis Australia not backing her comments.
“I don’t run from things, I face them,” she said.
“I decided not to come across this year and do more crabbing.”
Court said she had a holiday house which she rarely got to use and January was the perfect time to head there, where she would watch tennis on TV.
Court said she did not hate gay people and was angered how she was made out to be homophobic, who no longer deserved credit for her tennis career.
“In many ways they bought my tennis into it and I was speaking from a biblical side,” she said.
“Bringing my tennis into it and what I did in my life ... they should be ashamed.”
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She said Tennis Australia chief executive officer and Australian Open Tournament Director Craig Tiley contacted her about the comments.
“I told him ‘I haven’t taken drugs, I haven’t murdered anybody’ — I just said what was in the bible about marriage,” she said.
In a statement Tennis Australia said: “As a former champion Margaret was invited to the Australian Open.
“We have been advised she will not be attending this year.”
Court is still not backing away from her tough stance on same sex couples and described the movement towards gay marriage a “trend”.
“I think there will be a price to pay for it in the future in the nation and people will see it’s not about marriage,” she said.
“There will be a genderless generation.
“My thing was a marriage is between a man and a woman.”
Originally published as Tennis legend Margaret Court turns back on Australian Open