The media appear to have forgotten – or do not care – about Margaret Court amid the hullabaloo of Serena Williams matching the singles grand slam record.
The fact is that Australian Margaret Court holds the open-era of the most singles grand slam victories, not German Stefi Graf. Court won 24 and Graf 22.
Serena’s feat may have American flags fluttering, but she still has a way to go to catch Court.
In 1970 Court became the first woman during the open era (and the second woman in history) to win the singles grand slam (all four major tournaments in the same calendar year).
She also won 19 women’s doubles and 21 mixed doubles titles, giving her a record 64 major titles overall. That’s another record that will be tough to match.
Much is often made of career grand slams in tennis. However only two players have achieved the calendar feat in tennis, both of them Australians.
Rod Laver did it twice with Court completing it once.
Cameras often focus on the 77-year-old Laver every year sitting in the stands at the Australian Open as the younger generation trade blows, but most times I fail to catch a glimpse of Court in the crowds.
Laver and Court are hardly forgotten Australian heroes, but their feats appear to slowly been buried by international journalists in the mist of time.
RenaArmy
Guest
Court's pre "Open Era" record really takes her out of the debate. Some of Court's draws only had 32 players! Can you imagine how many more Grand Slams Serena and Graf would both have if their draws were only 32 players and not 128!!!
Harry G
Guest
What you have to remember is that the only way you can compare players over different time period is numbers.. And that means grand slam wins.. I do happen to think that Serena is the best female player ever to grace a tennis court and I'm willing for her to equal and break Margaret courts record of 24 slams. The debate of who is the best female tennis player ever will then be undisputed. Until that happens Margaret remains the best player and I'm afraid no one can argue with that.
james
Guest
No doubt Court is great although she has no Olympic medals.
Anon
Guest
Margaret Court won 12 Oz Opens when no-one turned up and regularly beat WTA Founder BJ King. Steffi topped Martina N, Chris Evert and Arantxa Sanchez-Victoria at 19 to win the Golden GS. Later beat Martina H, Monica S and competed against Lindsay D. So the reason is achievements in a more competitive era. Other than BJ King who did our Ozzie Legend beat? Ageing Rosie Casals?
Johnno
Guest
Agree in many ways with the you can only play what's in front of you argument.
anon
Guest
Of course it's relevant. Her views are an embarrassment. She's rightfully been shunned by the tennis community.
Dave
Guest
You are 100% correct mate. (For singles) And I don't think it undermines her achievements one little bit. She is a legend of the sport !!
AZ_RBB
Guest
She won 11 grand slams in the Open Era post 1968. How much that undermines her achievements, I'm not sure.
Dave
Guest
Margaret Court DID NOT win all her majors in the open era. Do you know when the open are began ?
Dave
Guest
Spot on.
Dave
Guest
Now you're talking. ?
clipper
Guest
Don't think that point is irrelevant - would explain why she is not more in the public eye. Agree with the point about Graf - Seles was in her prime when stabbed, was likely to win more, although don't know if she would get to Court's record - often those that are great young tail off later. The more amazing figure is 64 total major wins - that's a record that will be very hard to break, if ever, now that most top singles players don't participate in doubles, Serena obviously the exception.
AZ_RBB
Guest
But that's very relevant when we're talking about why she isn't paraded around and lauded like Graf and Williams. Her outspoken and controversial views make her far less appealing to the current tennis market. A lot of people in the public today are more likely to associate her with her politics than her tennis. That's a choice she has consciously made and one that she seems very passionate about.
Dave
Guest
Margaret Court won ONE only Grand Slam along with 24 Majors. I don't have to check.
Andrew Jardine
Roar Guru
Court's view of homosexuality is irrelevant. We are talking about her records in slams on the tennis court.
Andrew Jardine
Roar Guru
Rubbish! She won 24 slams. Check the records.
Dave
Guest
You can only beat what's in front of you though -- Comment from The Roar's iPhone app.
Johnno
Guest
In the OPEN-ERA no, a lot of Court's wins were also in the non open era. Open era started around 1968-onwards or was it 69? Like Rod Laver,he won stuff before Open era too, but Laver I think won a GS in the open era. Like rugby union, very hard to compare amateur era with professional, and also stuff like not all players coming out to OZ open. Bjorg hardly ever showed if ever, he would of won a few here. Margaret Court/Laver/Rosewall and others represent a different era in Tennis, so it's hard to bring em in to modern debates about who best players are of modern era and include them. Just like rugby amateur era, it was a different time, these tennis players were raised in amateur era and went pro, will into the middle stages of there careers. Court did win other 3 majors,but Tennis was very different time, and now far more players from many different countries play the game, unlike in Court/Laver era.
Dave
Guest
No -- Comment from The Roar's iPhone app.
Andrew Jardine
Roar Guru
Almost every critic is writing about how Serena was trying to match Graf's Open-era "record". It's a case of not letting the facts get in the way of a "good" story. The fact is that Court won 24 singles slams and Graf 22. Reporters have access to the internet like everyone else, and a quick check will show that Court holds the record. My mistake about the Graf slam in 1988. I should have checked, but so should others when they didn't check the feats of Court.