Martina Navratilova pulls no punches in a stinging rebuke of 24-time Grand Slam champion Margaret Court.
Navratilova blasts Court as "a racist homophobe" and calls Court's comments on homosexuality "sick and dangerous."
Court: Tennis Is Full of Lesbians
In An Open Letter to Margaret Court Arena published by the Sydney Morning Herald, Navratilova calls Court out for her claim that top lesbian players lured younger players during her days on the pro circuit and brands her a racist.
"I had long ago forgiven Court for her headline-grabbing comments in 1990 when she said I was a bad role model because I was a lesbian," Navratilova wrote. "What I did not know about until now were the unabashed racist statements she made in the '70s about apartheid in South Africa. Saying that South Africa dealt with the "situation" (meaning people of color) much better than anywhere else in the world, particularly the US: what exactly did she mean by that?"
The 18-time Grand Slam champion has called on Tennis Australia to change the name of Margaret Court Arena after Court announced she planned to boycot Qantas Airlines following the CEO's support of marriage equality.
Navratilova's opinion piece came in response to Court telling Vision Christian Radio Station "tennis is full of lesbians."
"We're not against the (gay) people," Court said. "They're human beings and 92 percent, they say in America, have either been abused in some form sexually or emotionally at an early age for them to even be this way."
The 18-time Grand Slam champion suggests Court, who is a Christian minister in Perth, Australia, is playing the religion card to cover her bigotry and fierce opposition to marriage equality.
"Now she is doubling down with her ridiculous comments about older women luring young girls on the tour to parties to turn them into lesbians," Navratilova wrote. "It's a good thing she didn't name anyone as I am pretty sure she would be sued for defamation.
"It is now clear exactly who Court is: an amazing tennis player, and a racist and a homophobe. Her vitriol is not just an opinion. She is actively trying to keep LGBT people from getting equal rights (note to Court: we are human beings, too). She is demonising trans kids and trans adults everywhere."
Asked about Court's comments following her French Open win yesterday, reigning Roland Garros champion Garbine Muguruza replied: "Quite honestly, I really don't give a damn what she says."
While there has been speculation some players might boycott Margaret Court Arena at the 2018 Australian Open, Aussie No. 1 Samantha Stosur said she does not expect Tennis Australia to change the name of the Arena.
"The court's named Margaret Court Arena because of what she did in tennis, and that's why basically," Stosur said in comments published by the Sydney Morning Herald. "But I guess we'll cross that bridge when we all get down to the Australian Open next year and [see] who wants to play on Margaret Court Arena and who doesn't, and we'll go from there."