Courting a great champion

Tennis Australia will rightly celebrate the 50th anniversary of Margaret Court’s 1970 grand slam year at this year’s Australian Open, from January 20. Just as Rod Laver was honoured at the 2019 tournament for his 1969 slam, Mrs Court will be a special guest at the Open. She will feature in a TA documentary about her life and the ­official program will carry a feature about her. She will attend the Legends Lunch and be invited to a special session in the second week with a group of family and friends.

Regardless of whether tennis fans like, loathe or are indifferent to Mrs Court’s outspoken religious views, they have much to applaud in her amazing record, including 24 grand slam singles, 19 doubles and 21 mixed doubles titles. Serena Williams’s quest to equal the singles record in slams and Ashleigh Barty’s attempt to win her first Australian Open will underline Mrs Court’s achievements.

Both LGBTI activists and Mrs Court’s Christian supporters would do well to focus on tennis during the Open and leave divisive debates to other times and places. The Israel Folau imbroglio showed why theological controversy and top-level sport are a lethal mix. In a sermon in her Perth church on Sunday, Mrs Court said transgender children and women were “problematic” in the sporting arena. Others have raised the same issue, but for now it is best left in the pulpit. The Australian Open is a unifying event in our national life, and should remain so.