Margaret Court says Australia Day honour was ‘a long time coming’

Margaret Court has “dug herself a deeper hole” after being honoured on Australia Day, revealing she was not invited to the Aussie Open.

Margaret Court has revealed she has not been invited to attend the 2021 Australian Open as part of an explosive radio interview.

Court was last night awarded the Companion of the Order of Australia, the nation’s highest honour.

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But the decision to give the award to the tennis legend and tennis champion and outspoken anti-LGBT figure was criticised by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews last week, who said her vocal opposition to same-sex marriage and support of gay conversion therapy should exclude her from receiving the award.

Court hit back at the criticism, saying that the honour was for her 24 Grand Slam wins as a tennis player and “was a long time coming”.

And despite the likes of journalist Kerry O’Brien rejecting his OAM and a transgender woman and LGBTIQ advocate Dr Clara Tuck Meng Soo handing back her OAM as a direct result of Court being awarded the Companion of the Order of Australia, the tennis legend said she wouldn’t reject the honour.

“I wasn’t one who looked for it, I didn’t know I was getting it, I was very honoured when I was told I was,” she told 3AW’s Neil Mitchell speaking after receiving her honour on Australia Day.

“No (I won’t give it back), because I loved representing my nation. When I got my AO it was for my community outreach area, where we put out 75 tonnes of food a week.

“This was for my tennis and I think it was a long time coming and I’m very honoured ... We did nothing but play for our nation.”

She also told 3AW she has been “used” as a high-profile promoter of her so-called “traditional values”.

Mitchell concluded the interview by saying the 78-year-old “may have dug herself into a deeper hole” after reiterating her views surrounding marriage equality and homosexuality.

“It is a choice,” she said.

“There were some things that were said on radio that claimed I said transgender children are the devil. I never said that.

Margaret Court, pictured with a commemorative Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup.

Barry and Margaret Court, Celebrities at the 2020 Australian Open.

“Everything we have in life is a choice. That’s the freedom God gave us. That’s their choice. I don’t hate them for their choice.”

She went on to say: “I was used as a high profile person to get some opinions and views across – but I have nothing against homosexual people or transgender people.

“I’ve always said what the bible says. And I don’t hate anybody. I love people. And I love gay people and I love transgender people.”

She also repeated her declaration that she continues to pray for Andrews, despite their public war of words.

Court has become a divisive figure for her outspoken views on homosexuality, conversion therapy, same-sex marriage and transgender people.

There have been repeated calls for Tennis Australia to distance itself from her, along with a campaign to rename Margaret Court Arena at Melbourne Park.

The 24-time grand slam champion also claimed earlier this week she has been unfairly bullied over her beliefs, calling on her outspoken critics to stop.

Martina Navratilova and John McEnroe protest for Margaret Court Arena to be renamed in honour of Evonne Goolagong. Source: Twitter

“Over the years, I’ve taken a lot, and I think I’ve been bullied in one way, and I think, you know, it’s time to stop,” Court said.

“Always remember I’m a minister of the gospel and have been for the last 30 years, I always say what the Bible says.

“I love people, people come in from all backgrounds, I’m there to help, I’m not there to put people down in that way but I’ll always say what the Bible says.”

Court was last year honoured at the Open, which celebrated the 50th anniversary of her calendar year grand slam.

She says she won’t be attending when the tournament begins at Melbourne Park on February 8.