Sport

Margaret Court’s husband lashes out at Billie Jean King over renaming tennis court

Jan 17 2018
Written by Benjamin Butterworth

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 29: Margaret Court poses with a bronze bust of herself during the 2015 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 29, 2015 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Graham Denholm/Getty Images)

The husband of anti-LGBT tennis ace Margaret Court has intervened in a row over renaming a tennis court.

Barry Court has condemned Billie Jean King after she called on the Margaret Court arena to be renamed in light of Court’s continued homophobic and transphobic comments.

Speaking three days before the tournament is set to start at the Australian Open court, King said that if she were still in her prime days as a tennis player she would refuse to play a match at the arena.

(Photo by Dennis Grombkowski/Getty Images)

“If I were playing today, I would not play on it,” she said. “I personally don’t think she should have her name anymore.”

When the arena was named after Court in 2003, King supported it.

“I was really happy for her to have it,” she said.

But the barrage of homophobic and transphobic comments in recent months has led her to support the renaming campaign.

“I was fine until lately when she said so many derogatory things about my community — I’m a gay woman — about the LBGTIQ community,” King told the Sydney Morning Herald. “That really went deep in my heart and soul.”

Margaret Court (Photo by Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images)

It was reported that the tennis champion, a former rival of King, made comments about transgender children “being from the devil”.

Now Barry has denied his wife ever made negative comments about transgender people.

“I suggest Billie Jean first check her facts before making allegations against my wife,” Barry Court wrote in a statement, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

“We have reputable sources review all her press releases and interviews and cannot trace these remarks back to Margaret.”

Billie Jean King

King said: “I think it’s really important if you’re going to have your name on anything that you’re hospitable, you’re inclusive, you’re open arms to everyone that comes. It’s a public facility.”

“I know it’s not as easy as people think, but I personally don’t think she should have her name anymore.

“I think if you were talking about indigenous people, Jews or any other people, I can’t imagine the public would want somebody to have their name on something. Maybe because of our community, the L.G.B.T.I.Q. community, people might feel differently.

“But we’re all God’s children. We are all God’s children, so I probably don’t think it’s appropriate to have her name.”

9th July 1973: Margaret Court (nee Smith) of Australia in action at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships. (Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images)

King, who is a lesbian, added that Court’s homophobia, “really went deep in my heart and soul”.

“I was fine until lately when she said so many derogatory things about my community; I’m a gay woman,” King added.

King is one of a long list of people who have called for the arena’s name to be changed.

However, the decision lies with the host federation – and so far the body has remained silent on the debate.

(Getty)

Now, there is mounting pressure from Tennis Australia, who just launched it’s “Open4All” campaign which aims to make tennis a more inclusive space.

Unfortunately, the arena cannot be named after King as the facility that hosts the United States Open in Flushing Meadows, N.Y., was christened the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in 2006.

“Every time I see my name up there, I can hardly breathe because of the responsibility that goes with it,” King said. “If I’m going to have my name on anything, I would welcome Margaret, I would welcome Pentecostals, I would welcome whoever.

“Whether I agree with them or not is not important; I would just be more welcoming. I just feel like she’s gotten really derogatory.”