Margaret Court’s influence extends beyond her records. She was a trailblazer for Australian tennis, inspiring generations of players with her achievements. The naming of the Margaret Court Arena at Melbourne Park is a testament to her impact on the sport in Australia. The arena symbolizes her legacy as one of the greatest athletes the country has produced.

Margaret Smith was born to a Roman Catholic family in Albury, New South Wales, Australia, in July of 1942. A left-hander at birth, she played tennis right-handed. She took up tennis at eight years old and was dominant in Australian Juniors, culminating in a win at the Australian Open in 1960 at the age of 17. This would be the first of seven straight wins Down Under for Smith. The win allowed her the opportunity to compete worldwide. She quickly became the best in the tennis world. She won her first French Title in 1962, defeating Lesley Turner in a 3-set final. Later that year she won the U.S. Championship, making her the champion of 3 of the four Major Championships at age 19. This began a run of true world dominance.

Rise to Stardom and Return to Tennis

She won two of the four Majors in 1963 (Australia and Wimbledon), completing the career Grand Slam at age 20. She won two more Majors in 1964, then three in 1965 (her only loss was in the Finals of the French to Lesley Turner). She opened 1966 winning another Australian but lost her will to play after losing in the Semi-Finals of both the French and Wimbledon Championships. She suddenly retired.

In 1967, she married Barry Court. She returned to tennis as Margaret Court the following year. In 1968, she played in 3 of the four Majors, not winning any. Then in 1969, she ran off a string of 8 wins in the next nine Majors, losing only in the 1969 Wimbledon Championships. 1970 saw her become only the second woman to win the Calendar Grand Slam (Maureen Connolly did it in 1953 and Steffi Graf would in 1988). She became pregnant with her first child during the 1971 season, limiting her participation on the women’s circuit. Returning to full-time play late in 1972, after the birth of her child, she won 3 of the four Majors in 1973 (losing only at Wimbledon), again vaulting to #1 in the world.

Dominance and Style of Play

Margaret Court’s tennis career is marked by an unmatched record of achievements. She won a total of 24 Grand Slam singles titles, a record that still stands today, making her the most successful player in terms of major titles. Her ability to dominate across all surfaces — grass, clay, and hard courts — is a testament to her versatility and skill. In addition to her singles success, Court amassed 19 women’s doubles and 21 mixed doubles titles, bringing her total Grand Slam count to an astounding 64 titles.Her unparalleled success includes becoming the first Australian woman to win a singles title at Wimbledon and completing the career Grand Slam by the age of 20. In 1970, she achieved the Calendar Grand Slam by winning all four major tournaments in the same year, a feat only a few players in history have accomplished.

Court’s style of play was characterized by her powerful serve and volley game, complemented by her exceptional physical fitness. Standing 5’9″ with a long reach, she was known for her aggressive play and stamina, often outlasting opponents in long rallies. Her dedication to fitness and strength training was ahead of its time, setting her apart from her contemporaries and contributing to her longevity in the sport.

Controversy and Criticism

Despite her on-court success, Court’s legacy is complicated by her outspoken views on social issues, particularly her opposition to same-sex marriage and LGBTQ+ rights. Her comments have sparked significant backlash, leading to calls for the renaming of the Margaret Court Arena. Court’s views have often put her at odds with modern societal values, overshadowing her tennis accomplishments in the eyes of many.Her loss to Bobby Riggs in “The Mother’s Day Massacre” and subsequent lack of preparation for the match also contributed to a perception that contrasts sharply with the cultural impact of Billie Jean King’s victory over Riggs in “The Battle of the Sexes.”

Later Career and Achievements

Again, she became pregnant. Margaret and Barry welcomed their second child in 1974. She would take the entire year off tennis. She rejoined the tour in 1975 but could not regain her previous form, so when she became pregnant with her third child, she retired for good. The Courts would have a fourth child after she gave up tennis.Margaret Smith Court just might be the greatest woman tennis player of all time. She was an exact contemporary of Billie Jean King, and her record is clearly better. She’s won 24 Major Single Titles, the most of all time (11 Australians, 5 French, 5 U.S., 3 Wimbledons). By contrast, King won 12 in her career. Court also has the best Doubles record in the history of Women’s tennis, winning 19 Women’s Doubles Majors (8 Australians, 5 U.S., 4 French, 2 Wimbledons) and 21 Mixed Double Major Titles (8 U.S., 5 Wimbledons, 4 Australians, 4 French). That’s 64 total Major Championships. That’s the most of all time. Martina Navratilova is second with 59. Billie Jean King won 39. She leads King head to head 22-10, 4-1 in Major Finals. King is consistently rated (legitimately) as one of the ten greatest women players of all time, but she is obviously inferior in ability to Margaret Court.

Legacy

The International Tennis Hall of Fame says of Margaret Court; “For sheer strength of performance and accomplishment, there has never been a tennis player to match her.” Her career winning percentage in the Open Era is 91.17% (593-56), the best in history. She won a record 21 single titles in 1970. With the forming of the WTA, she holds the record for Singles Titles in a calendar year, 18, which she accomplished in 1973 (which, you’ll remember, she had just returned from maternity leave). Her record in Grand Slam events is 210-23. Besides her Calendar Slam in 1970, she also won 3 of the four Majors on four different occasions, 1962, 1965, 1969, 1973. This was tied by Steffi Graf for most ever. She won the Calendar Grand Slam twice in Mixed Doubles, the only person to win a Calendar Slam in two events. And, maybe most impressive of all, in her career she won 24 of the 47 Majors she competed in. By comparison, Serena Williams has won 23 of 66 Majors, Martina Navratilova 18 of 66, Steffi Graf 22 of 54, and Billie Jean King 12 of 51.The naming of the 2nd most prestigious court at Melbourne Park after Court is completely appropriate. She won the Australian Open Trophy more than any other woman in history. She is the greatest female tennis player Australia has ever had. Her name raises the prestige and reputation of Melbourne Park based on the body of her work.

Conclusion

Margaret Court is obviously a stellar tennis player, so why are Court’s accolades rarely the topic of conversation in modern media? Her career straddles the Majors entering the Open Era in 1968. Of Margaret Court’s 24 Single and 40 Double Majors, 11 of the Single and 12 of the Doubles, were at the weakest of the Majors (The Australian). Margaret Court was only ranked #1 in the world seven times. Her life choices after ending her Tennis Career may have contributed to a lack of media attention. Margaret Court lost to Bobby Riggs in “The Mothers Day Massacre” while Billie Jean King beat Riggs in “The Battle of the Sexes.” This is the silliest but probably most accurate reason for her low regard.Margaret Court, a living legend in the world of tennis, won the first of her 24 Grand Slams before John F. Kennedy stepped into the White House as the 35th President. Her era was marked not just by the icons who played the game—Billie Jean King, Evonne Goolagong, Maria Bueno, etc.—but the transformation of the sport itself from grass to hard court, from wooden racquets to metal, and from amateur status to professional. Court’s 24 titles, one more than Serena Williams, is still a record for women and her 64 total majors—singles, doubles, mixed—places her at the top of the podium among the all-time greatest players.

Margaret’s Achievements

:

Year	Event
1959	Competed at the Australian Championships for the first time, losing in the second round to eventual winner Mary Reitano.
1960	Won her first singles title at the Australian Championships.
1962	Won three of the four Grand Slam singles tournaments.
1963	Became the first Australian woman to win a singles title at Wimbledon. She and Ken Fletcher won all four Grand Slam mixed-doubles titles during the same calendar year.
1964	Won three of the four Grand Slam mixed doubles tournaments. Completed her career “boxed set” of Grand Slam titles with a women’s doubles title at Wimbledon.
1965	Won three of the four Grand Slam singles tournaments and all four Grand Slam mixed-doubles titles, with three different partners.
1966	Temporarily retired after losing in the quarterfinals of a tournament in Munich, Germany.
1968	Returned to tennis, playing a full schedule. Competed in the finals of the Western Australia Championships and the Australian National Championships.
1969	Won three of the four Grand Slam singles and mixed doubles tournaments.
1970	Won all four Grand Slam singles tournaments, becoming the second woman to achieve the Calendar Grand Slam.
1971	Won the Australian Championship for the 10th time. Left the tour mid-year to prepare for the birth of her first child.
1972	Returned to the tour in late July, reaching the semifinals of the US Open.
1973	Won three of the four Grand Slam singles and women’s doubles tournaments, becoming the first mother in the Open Era to win the Australian, French, and US Open championships.
1974	Absent from the game due to the birth of her second child. Returned to win the Western Australian Championships.
1975	Played the final Grand Slam singles match of her career at the US Open and won her last Grand Slam title in doubles at the US Open.
1976	Returned to the tour after the birth of her third child, finishing the year with a victory in Melbourne.
1977	Played the final singles match of her career, retiring upon learning of her fourth pregnancy.

Margaret used Dunlop Maxply, Slazenger Challenge No1 and Spalding Pancho Gonzalez