Margaret Court flew to the Australian Open for the week. This was the most awkward day she went to Melbourne Park – by far
Margaret Court was spotted in the stands at the Australian Open on Pride Day despite her controversial views on gay marriage.
Controversy has long dogged the Australian tennis legend, 81, over her opposition to same-sex marriages and has even sparked calls to change the name of the Margaret Court Arena.
Court returned to the Australian Open this year for the first time since 2020 and was regularly spotted in the audience with her husband Barrymore Court.
She was prominently seen in the stands during matches at Rod Laver Arena on January 25, the Pride Day of the Australian Open.
Margaret Court was spotted sitting in the stands at the Australian Open during the event’s Pride Day – despite her controversial views on gay marriage
“AO Pride Day is the Australian Open’s opportunity to speak loudly about our values of being welcoming and inclusive to the LGBTQ+ community,” the event description reads.
“We know that some members of the LGBTQ+ community have historically not felt safe and included in sports environments, and we are committed to changing this narrative.”
For AO Pride Day, Rod Laver Arena was lit up in rainbow colours, while there were also acoustic performances from LGBTQ+ artists.
Finals festivals were also held at John Cain Arena with LGBTQ+ singer Tash Sultana.
Surprisingly, no pride events were held at Margaret Court Arena.
Rainbow flags had also been placed on a statue of the Court, as seen in a photo shared to Reddit on Thursday.
Rainbow flags had also been placed on a statue of the Court, as seen in a photo shared to Reddit on Thursday
The sports hero has long been the subject of controversy over comments on LGBTQ+ issues, including falsely claiming that being gay is a “choice.”
In 2017, Court, a Christian minister, shocked countless tennis identities and supporters after she boldly declared that the sport was “full of lesbians.”
She also previously labeled gay marriage “a trend” and the 24-time Grand Slam winner surprised many in tennis circles after expressing her belief that transgender athletes do not belong in professional sports.
The Court also said that it believes that marriage should be between a man and a woman.
She threatened to boycott Qantas after the airline expressed support for same-sex marriage before it became legal in Australia.
“I am disappointed that Qantas has become an active promoter of same-sex marriage,” Court said in the letter published at the time in The West Australian newspaper.
‘I believe in marriage as a union between a man and a woman, as stated in the Bible.
“Your statement leaves me no choice but to use other airlines for my extended travel whenever possible.”