It was awkward. It was painful. For some reason, it was preceded by a pulsating light show and dance music medley.
If I asked you to tell me which half-baked ceremony conducted at this year’s Australian Open I’m referring to, you wouldn’t need many guesses.
Tennis Australia had a dilemma on their hands – I certainly did not envy Craig Tilley and his team, tasked with trying to handle the 50th anniversary of the greatest achievement of arguably our greatest ever tennis player.
It felt like whatever the governing body chose to do, they would be doing something wrong.
Not celebrating the 50th anniversary of Margaret Court’s magnificent achievement of winning the Grand Slam would have been a bad look. It’s something Court should be proud of, and on this anniversary, she should be able to celebrate it in her home country with patrons on Rod Laver Arena, her friends and her family.
But things Court has said in recent times have put her at odds with significant sections of tennis fans and Australians in general.
Homophobia is no longer tolerated – and rightfully so. Couples of the same gender can now legally marry across the country. So how can we, as Australians, celebrate a woman who clearly doesn’t care our society has moved on from her views and continues to spread them?
Certainly, it’s confusing. John McEnroe and Martina Navratilova – legends of the game in their own right though perhaps not quite as revered as Court – were confused why the governing body of tennis in this country were celebrating Court.
They know about her achievements. But they didn’t seem to care. They felt, as many fans concurred with on social media before, during and after Court’s ceremony the things she has said are so hurtful that she should no longer be welcome in a community that is trying to be as inclusive as possible and grow the game.
It certainly wasn’t a coincidence their protest was staged on the Australian Open’s secondary stadium that is adorned with Court’s name.
Margare Court Arena (Wikimedia Commons/DestinationAlan)
They, along with many fans, believe the arena should no longer bear the name of someone who has a damaging influence.
TA were half-in, half-out. They conducted a ceremony for Margaret Court’s anniversary, but they did not allow her a platform to speak.
The crowd inside Rod Laver Arena, waiting to see the latest stop on the Nick Kyrgios redemption tour, didn’t know what to make of the event. Journalists reported hearing scattered applause but no booing. Even without booing, it’s safe to assume the fans didn’t approve of this.
The larger tennis community no longer approves of Margaret Court. I agree with these sentiments and I agree with John McEnroe and Martina Navratilova.
To borrow from Breaking Bad: Tennis Australia, no more half measures. It’s time to rename Margaret Court Arena.
Phil
Guest
So David, let’s get this straight. I don’t believe Margaret Court has ever said she has anything against gays. In fact, many times she has stated that she has gays attending her church. So, by definition, she is not homophobic. She has said she is against gay marriage. So what? Many people are. Are you entitled to your view on this, but everyone who disagrees with you must shut up. You are entitled to express your view on gay marriage and so is she. Get over it.
Censored Often
Roar Rookie
Margret Court has form as a loud and proud homophobic bigot since her playing days. She openly supported South Africa's apartheid stance and made some horribly racist remarks about Arthur Ashe. You cannot blame this on the simple fact "the media keep asking her". That's an excuse used by a toddler at best. Granted, her sporting achievements are world class but she as a person is not and using religious beliefs to mask her shortcomings laughable.
Torchbearer
Guest
She also made disparaging remarks about Casey Dellaqua and her family..for starters. She can't help herself. What she says is hate speech- albeit using religion as a shield. There is no place in our society, or indeed tennis, for such hate speech. If she made these comments about a racial minority for example the name would be stripped off the arena in minutes.
David Shilovsky
Expert
Hi Big AL Firstly, I'm sorry if I haven't made myself clear. I have nothing against Margaret Court's religious views or even her views on same sex marriage. I am not a Christian and I don't align myself with her views, but she is free to say and think whatever she likes. I absolutely think she is worthy of having her name on what is a fantastic venue at Melbourne Park. She is a great champion of tennis in Australia. Like you said, Tennis Australia obviously felt the same way. But for me, this is what it comes down to. She openly flaunts her polarising views in media interviews. She wrote an open letter in the West Australian announcing she would be boycotting our national airline because of the sexual orientation of their CEO, Alan Joyce. Again, she is free to boycott Qantas. But why do it so publicly? The manner in which she has gone about her business is wrong. It is hurtful and it seeks to divide people based on their sexual orientation. The damage she is causing is enough for me to believe she should have the honour of having her name on a major venue stripped. I don't have enough information to speak to Kobe Bryant and the comments made by Martina Navratilova.
Big AL
Roar Rookie
David, I respect your opinion but respectfully I have to disagree with you on this one. I think that Margaret Court absolutely deserves the honour of having a stadium named after her. Basically you are saying that because Margaret Court is a Christian Pastor that she is not worthy of being recognised for the outstanding career that she enjoyed. Does anyone know what Rod Laver's views are regarding same sex marriage? I certainly dont. Why is that? Maybe nobody has asked him. The same could be said for Margaret Court. If the media didnt keep asking her about subjects outside of the tennis world, then maybe we wouldn't know her views either. Why is it that we can forgive some their views and actions but others are held to a higher account. I personally feel that McEnroe and Navratilova were way out of line with their protest noting it was only 12 months ago that Navratilova came out and basically said that Transgender Women should not be able to compete against CIS Women. Double standards?. How did you feel about Kobe Bryant being honoured with the NBA All-Star MVP award being named after him? I applaud Margaret Court for her amazing sporting achievements which let's not forget, is why she had a stadium named after her in the first place.