Margaret Court

Margaret Court
Country Flag of Australia.svg Australia
Residence Perth, Australia
Date of birth 16 July 1942 (1942-07-16) (age 67)
Place of birth Albury, Australia
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight 149 lbs. (67.5 kg)
Turned pro 1968
Retired 1977
Plays Right-handed
Career prize money -
Singles
Career record: -
Career titles: 92 during open era
Highest ranking: 1 (1973)
Grand Slam results
Australian Open W (1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973)
French Open W (1962, 1964, 1969, 1970, 1973)
Wimbledon W (1963, 1965, 1970)
US Open W (1962, 1965, 1969, 1970, 1973)
Doubles
Career record: -
Career titles: 48 during open era
Highest ranking: -
Mixed Doubles
Career record: {{{mixedrecord}}}
Career titles: {{{mixedtitles}}}
Highest ranking: {{{highestmixedranking}}}

Infobox last updated on: 27 January 2007.

Margaret Jean Court AO MBE (born 16 July 1942, also known as Margaret Smith Court) is a retired former World No. 1 tennis player from Australia. In 1970, she became the first woman during the open era and the second woman ever to win all four Grand Slam singles titles in the same calendar year. Court won 24 Grand Slam singles titles, more than any other player. She won 62 Grand Slam titles overall (24 singles, 19 women's doubles, and 19 mixed doubles), again, more than any other player. The International Tennis Hall of Fame states, "For sheer strength of performance and accomplishment there has never been a tennis player to match (her)."[1]

Contents

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Biography

Born Margaret Jean Smith in 1942, in Albury, New South Wales, she was the youngest of the four children of Lawrence Smith and Catherine Smith (née Beaufort). She began playing tennis when she was eight years old and was 17 when she won the first of seven consecutive singles titles at the 1960 Australian Championships.

After Wimbledon in 1966, Court temporarily retired from tennis. She married Barry Court in 1967 and became known as Margaret Smith Court or Margaret Court. She returned to tennis in 1968 and won all four Grand Slam singles titles in 1970. The next year, Court lost the Wimbledon singles final to Evonne Goolagong Cawley while pregnant with her first child, Daniel, who was born in March 1972. Court made a comeback the same year and played in the US Open. Her second child, Marika, was born in 1974. Court started playing again but retired permanently in 1977 when she learned she was expecting the third of her four children.

Court is one of only three players to have achieved a career "boxed set" of Grand Slam titles, winning every possible Grand Slam title – singles, same-sex doubles and mixed doubles – at all four Grand Slam events. The others are Doris Hart and Martina Navrátilová. Court, however, is the only person to have won all 12 Grand Slam events at least twice. She also is unique in having completed a boxed set before the start of the open era in 1968 and a separate boxed set after the start of the open era.

Court is widely remembered for having lost a heavily publicized and U.S.–televised challenge match to a former World No. 1 male tennis player, the 55-year-old Bobby Riggs, on Mother's Day, 13 May 1973, in Ramona, California. Court was the top-ranked women's player at the time, and it has been written that she did not take the match seriously, assuming that she would win without difficulty. Using a mixture of lobs and drop shots, however, Riggs beat her 6–2, 6–1. Four months later, Billie Jean King beat Riggs in the even more famous Battle of the Sexes match in the Houston Astrodome.

In 1979, Court was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

In January 2003, Show Court One at Melbourne Park was renamed Margaret Court Arena. Also in 2003, Australia Post honoured her and fellow Australian tennis Rod Laver by putting their images on postage stamps.

As of October 2008, Court lives in Perth, Western Australia.

Her father-in-law, Sir Charles Court, and brother-in-law, Richard Court, were Liberal premiers of Western Australia.

Religious faith

Court is a Pentacostal Christian, having converted from Catholicism. In 1983, she gained a theological qualification from the Rhema Bible Training Centre and in 1991 was ordained a minister. Court subsequently went on to found a ministry known as the Margaret Court Ministries.[2]

Court currently runs the Victory Life Centre in Perth, Western Australia,[3] a Pentecostal church. Her television show, A Life of Victory, appears on the Australian Christian Channel.[2]

Views on homosexuality

In 1990, Court said that Martina Navrátilová and other lesbian and bisexual players were ruining the sport of tennis and setting a bad example for younger players.[4] [5] [6]

In November 1994, when delivering a speech at Parliament House in Canberra, Court exclaimed that "Homosexuality is an abomination to the Lord! Abortion is an abomination to the Lord!"[2]

In 2002, Court said that homosexuals commit "sins of the flesh" and can be "changed".[7] She stated that when the open era started, "there was quite a lot of [homosexuality] in there" and added that "a few of the older ones ... were [homosexual]", with younger players being "sort of snared in with it".[7] These comments were made in the context of Damir Dokić's claim that he would kill himself if his high-profile professional tennis-playing daughter, Jelena, became a lesbian.[8]

Court campaigned against laws proposed and eventually passed by the Government of Western Australia in 2002 that gave gay people and lesbians equal legal rights as de facto couples.[7] In an interview she gave on Australian television concerning the laws, she expressed a belief that homosexuality could destroy families[9]

Career timeline

Grand Slam titles and world rankings

Court won a record 62 Grand Slam titles, including a record 24 singles titles, 19 women's doubles titles, and a record 19 mixed doubles titles. She won 64 Grand Slam titles, including 21 mixed doubles titles, if the shared championships at the Australian Championships/Open in 1965 and 1969 are counted. The finals were not played because of bad weather. Court could have won even more mixed doubles titles had the event been held at the 1970, 1971, 1973, and 1975 Australian Opens.

Court won 62 of the 85 Grand Slam finals (72.9%) she played, including 24-5 (82.8%) in singles finals, 19-14 (57.6%) in women's doubles finals, and 19-4 (82.6%) in mixed doubles finals.

Court reached the final in 29, the semifinals in 36, and the quarterfinals in 43 of the 47 Grand Slams singles tournaments she played. Her won-lost record in Grand Slam singles tournaments was 210-23 .901 (47-5 at the French Championships/Open, 51-9 at Wimbledon, 51-6 at the U.S. Championships/Open, and 61-3 at the Australian Championships/Open). She won 11 of the 16 Grand Slam singles tournaments she entered beginning with the 1969 Australian Open and ending with the 1973 US Open. She also won 11 of the 17 Grand Slam singles tournaments she entered beginning with the 1962 Australian Championships and ending with the 1966 Australian Championships. Court was 146-2 (98.6%) against unseeded players in Grand Slam singles tournaments.

Court is the only player to have won the calendar year Grand Slam in both singles and mixed doubles. She won the singles Grand Slam in 1970, the mixed doubles Grand Slam in 1963 with fellow Australian Ken Fletcher, and the mixed doubles Grand Slam in 1965 with three different partners (Fletcher, John Newcombe, and Fred Stolle).

Court won more than half of the Grand Slam events held in 1963 (8 of 12), 1964 (7 of 12), 1965 (9 of 12), 1969 (8 of 12), 1970 (7 of 11), and 1973 (6 of 11).

According to the end-of-year rankings compiled by the London Daily Telegraph from 1914 through 1972, Court was ranked World No. 1 six times: 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1969, and 1970. Court also was ranked No. 1 for 1973, when the official rankings were produced by the Women's Tennis Association.

Career statistics

Court won more than half of the Grand Slam singles tournaments she played (24 of 47) and 192 of the 300 singles tournaments she played overall. Her career singles win-loss record was 1,177-106, for a winning percentage of 91.74 percent. She won at least 100 singles matches in 1965 (113-8), 1968 (107-12), 1970 (113-6), and 1973 (100-5). She won more than 80 percent of her singles matches against top 10 players (297-73) and was the year-end top ranked player seven times.[10]

Grand Slam finals

Singles (29)

Wins (24)
Year  ↓ Championship  ↓ Opponent in Final  ↓ Score in Final  ↓
1960 Australian Championships Flag of Australia Jan Lehane O'Neill 7–5, 6–2
1961 Australian Championships (2) Flag of Australia Jan Lehane O'Neill 6–1, 6–4
1962 Australian Championships (3) Flag of Australia Jan Lehane O'Neill 6–0, 6–2
1962 French Championships Flag of Australia Lesley Turner Bowrey 6–3, 3–6, 7–5
1962 U.S. Championships Flag of the United States Darlene Hard 9–7, 6–4
1963 Australian Championships (4) Flag of Australia Jan Lehane O'Neill 6–2, 6–2
1963 Wimbledon Flag of the United States Billie Jean King 6–3, 6–4
1964 Australian Championships (5) Flag of Australia Lesley Turner Bowrey 6–3, 6–2
1964 French Championships (2) Flag of Brazil Maria Bueno 5–7, 6–1, 6–2
1965 Australian Championships (6) Flag of Brazil Maria Bueno 5–7, 6–4, 5–2 retired
1965 Wimbledon (2) Flag of Brazil Maria Bueno 6–4, 7–5
1965 U.S. Championships (2) Flag of the United States Billie Jean King 8–6, 7–5
1966 Australian Championships (7) Flag of the United States Nancy Richey Gunter walkover
1969 Australian Open (8) Flag of the United States Billie Jean King 6–4, 6–1
1969 French Open (3) Flag of the United Kingdom Ann Haydon Jones 6–1, 4–6, 6–3
1969 US Open (3) Flag of the United States Nancy Richey Gunter 6–2, 6–2
1970 Australian Open (9) Flag of Australia Kerry Melville Reid 6–1, 6–3
1970 French Open (4) Flag of West Germany Helga Niessen Masthoff 6–2, 6–4
1970 Wimbledon (3) Flag of the United States Billie Jean King 14–12, 11–9
1970 US Open (4) Flag of the United States Rosemary Casals 6–2, 2–6, 6–1
1971 Australian Open (10) Flag of Australia Evonne Goolagong Cawley 2–6, 7–6, 7–5
1973 Australian Open (11) Flag of Australia Evonne Goolagong Cawley 6–4, 7–5
1973 French Open (5) Flag of the United States Chris Evert 6–7, 7–6, 6–4
1973 US Open (5) Flag of Australia Evonne Goolagong Cawley 7–6, 5–7, 6–2
Runner-ups (5)
Year  ↓ Championship  ↓ Opponent in Final  ↓ Score in Final  ↓
1963 U.S. Championships Flag of Brazil Maria Bueno 7–5, 6–4
1964 Wimbledon Flag of Brazil Maria Bueno 6–4, 7–9, 6–3
1965 French Championships Flag of Australia Lesley Turner Bowrey 6–3, 6–4
1968 Australian Championships Flag of the United States Billie Jean King 6–1, 6–2
1971 Wimbledon Flag of Australia Evonne Goolagong Cawley 6–4, 6–1

Women's doubles (33)

Wins (19)
Year  ↓ Championship  ↓ Partner  ↓ Opponents in Final  ↓ Score in Final  ↓
1961 Australian Championships Flag of Australia Mary Carter Reitano Flag of Australia Mary Bevis Hawton
Flag of Australia Jan Lehane O'Neill
6–4, 3–6, 7–5
1962 Australian Championships (2) Flag of Australia Robyn Ebbern Flag of the United States Darlene Hard
Flag of Australia Mary Carter Reitano
6–4, 6–4
1963 Australian Championships (3) Flag of Australia Robyn Ebbern Flag of Australia Jan Lehane O'Neill
Flag of Australia Lesley Turner Bowrey
6–1, 6–3
1963 U.S. Championships Flag of Australia Robyn Ebbern Flag of Brazil Maria Bueno
Flag of the United States Darlene Hard
4–6, 10–8, 6–3
1964 French Championships Flag of Australia Lesley Turner Bowrey Flag of Argentina Norma Baylon
Flag of West Germany Helga Schultze
6–3, 6–1
1964 Wimbledon Flag of Australia Lesley Turner Bowrey Flag of the United States Billie Jean King
Flag of the United States Karen Hantze Susman
7–5, 6–2
1965 Australian Championships (4) Flag of Australia Lesley Turner Bowrey Flag of Australia Robyn Ebbern
Flag of the United States Billie Jean King
1–6, 6–2, 6–3
1965 French Championships (2) Flag of Australia Lesley Turner Bowrey Flag of France Françoise Durr
Flag of France Jeanine Lieffrig
6–3, 6–1
1966 French Championships (3) Flag of Australia Judy Tegart Dalton Flag of Australia Jill Blackman
Flag of Australia Fay Toyne
4–6, 6–1, 6–1
1968 US Open (2) Flag of Brazil Maria Bueno Flag of the United States Billie Jean King
Flag of the United States Rosemary Casals
4–6, 9–7, 8–6
1969 Australian Open (5) Flag of Australia Judy Tegart Dalton Flag of the United States Rosemary Casals
Flag of the United States Billie Jean King
6–4, 6–4
1969 Wimbledon (2) Flag of Australia Judy Tegart Dalton Flag of the United States Patricia Hogan
Flag of the United States Peggy Michel
9–7, 6–2
1970 Australian Open (6) Flag of Australia Judy Tegart Dalton Flag of Australia Kerry Melville Reid
Flag of Australia Kerry Harris
6–3, 6–1
1970 US Open (3) Flag of the United States Judy Tegart Dalton Flag of the United States Rosemary Casals
Flag of the United Kingdom Virginia Wade
6–3, 6–4
1971 Australian Open (7) Flag of Australia Evonne Goolagong Cawley Flag of Australia Jill Emmerson
Flag of Australia Lesley Hunt
6–0, 6–0
1973 Australian Open (8) Flag of the United Kingdom Virginia Wade Flag of Australia Kerry Harris
Flag of Australia Kerry Melville Reid
6–4, 6–4
1973 US Open (4) Flag of the United Kingdom Virginia Wade Flag of the United States Billie Jean King
Flag of the United States Rosemary Casals
3–6, 6–3, 7–5
1973 French Open (4) Flag of the United Kingdom Virginia Wade Flag of France Françoise Durr
Flag of the Netherlands Betty Stöve
6–2, 6–3
1975 US Open (5) Flag of the United Kingdom Virginia Wade Flag of the United States Billie Jean King
Flag of the United States Rosemary Casals
7–5, 2–6, 7–6
Runner-ups (14)
Year  ↓ Championship  ↓ Partner  ↓ Opponents in Final  ↓ Score in Final  ↓
1960 Australian Championships Flag of Australia Lorraine Coghlan Robinson Flag of Brazil Maria Bueno
Flag of the United States Christine Truman Janes
6–2, 5–7, 6–2
1961 Wimbledon Flag of Australia Jan Lehane O'Neill Flag of the United States Billie Jean King
Flag of the United States Karen Hantze Susman
6–3, 6–4
1962 French Championships Flag of the United States Justina Bricka Flag of South Africa Sandra Reynolds Price
Flag of South Africa Renee Schuurman Haygarth
6–4, 6–4
1963 French Championships (2) Flag of Australia Robyn Ebbern Flag of the United Kingdom Ann Haydon Jones
Flag of South Africa Renee Schuurman Haygarth
7–5, 6–4
1963 Wimbledon (2) Flag of Australia Robyn Ebbern Flag of Brazil Maria Bueno
Flag of the United States Darlene Hard
8–6, 9–7
1964 Australian Championships (2) Flag of Australia Robyn Ebbern Flag of Australia Judy Tegart Dalton
Flag of the United States Lesley Turner Bowrey
6–4, 6–4
1964 U.S. Championships Flag of Australia Lesley Turner Bowrey Flag of the United States Billie Jean King
Flag of the United States Karen Hantze Susman
3–6, 6–2, 6–4
1966 Australian Championships (3) Flag of Australia Lesley Turner Bowrey Flag of the United States Carole Caldwell Graebner
Flag of the United States Nancy Richey Gunter
6–4, 7–5
1966 Wimbledon (3) Flag of Australia Judy Tegart Dalton Flag of Brazil Maria Bueno
Flag of the United States Nancy Richey Gunter
6–3, 4–6, 6–4
1969 French Open (3) Flag of the United States Nancy Richey Gunter Flag of the United Kingdom Ann Haydon Jones
Flag of France Françoise Durr
6–0, 4–6, 7–5
1969 US Open (2) Flag of the United Kingdom Virginia Wade Flag of France Françoise Durr
Flag of the United States Darlene Hard
0–6, 6–4, 6–4
1971 Wimbledon (4) Flag of Australia Evonne Goolagong Cawley Flag of the United States Billie Jean King
Flag of the United States Rosemary Casals
6–3, 6–2
1972 US Open (3) Flag of the United Kingdom Virginia Wade Flag of France Françoise Durr
Flag of the Netherlands Betty Stöve
6–3, 1–6, 6–3
1975 Australian Championships (4) Flag of the Soviet Union Olga Morozova Flag of Australia Evonne Goolagong Cawley
Flag of the United States Peggy Michel
7–6, 7–6

Mixed doubles (23)

Note: The two shared mixed doubles titles at the Australian Championships/Open in 1965 and 1969 traditionally are not counted in Court's win total because the finals were never played. Otherwise, she would have 64 Grand Slam titles, 21 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles, and 25 Grand Slam mixed doubles finals.

Wins (19)
Year  ↓ Championship  ↓ Partner  ↓ Opponents in Final  ↓ Score in Final  ↓
1961 U.S. Championships Flag of Australia Robert Mark Flag of the United States Dennis Ralston
Flag of the United States Darlene Hard
3–6, 6–2, 6–4
1962 U.S. Championships (2) Flag of Australia Fred Stolle Flag of the United States Frank Froehling III
Flag of the United States Lesley Turner Bowrey
0–6, 6–4, 6–4
1963 Australian Championships Flag of Australia Ken Fletcher Flag of Australia Fred Stolle
Flag of Australia Lesley Turner Bowrey
6–4, 6–4
1963 French Championships Flag of Australia Ken Fletcher Flag of Australia Fred Stolle
Flag of Australia Lesley Turner Bowrey
6–1, 6–2
1963 Wimbledon Flag of Australia Ken Fletcher Flag of South Africa Bob Hewitt
Flag of the United States Darlene Hard
11–9, 6–4
1963 U.S. Championships (3) Flag of Australia Ken Fletcher Flag of the United States Ed Rubinoff
Flag of the United States Judy Tegart Dalton
0–6, 6–4, 6–4
1964 Australian Championships (2) Flag of Australia Ken Fletcher Flag of the United Kingdom Mike Sangster
Flag of Australia Jan Lehane O'Neill
6–4, 6–4
1964 French Championships (2) Flag of Australia Ken Fletcher Flag of Australia Fred Stolle
Flag of Australia Lesley Turner Bowrey
6–3, 4–6, 8–6
1964 U.S. Championships (4) Flag of Australia John Newcombe Flag of the United States Ed Rubinoff
Flag of the United States Judy Tegart Dalton
0–6, 6–4, 6–4
1965 Australian Championships (3) Flag of Australia John Newcombe Flag of Australia Owen Davidson
Flag of Australia Robyn Ebbern
shared championship, final not played
1965 French Championships (3) Flag of Australia Ken Fletcher Flag of Australia John Newcombe
Flag of Brazil Maria Bueno
6–4, 6–4
1965 Wimbledon (2) Flag of Australia Ken Fletcher Flag of Australia Tony Roche
Flag of Australia Judy Tegart Dalton
12–10, 6–3
1965 U.S. Championships (5) Flag of Australia Fred Stolle Flag of the United States Frank Froehling III
Flag of the United States Judy Tegart Dalton
0–6, 6–4, 6–4
1966 Wimbledon (3) Flag of Australia Ken Fletcher Flag of the United States Dennis Ralston
Flag of the United States Billie Jean King
4–6, 6–3, 6–3
1968 Wimbledon (4) Flag of Australia Ken Fletcher Flag of the Soviet Union Alex Metreveli
Flag of the Soviet Union Olga Morozova
6–1, 14–12
1969 Australian Open (4) Flag of the United States Marty Riessen Flag of Australia Fred Stolle
Flag of the United Kingdom Ann Haydon Jones
shared championship, final not played
1969 French Championships (4) Flag of the United States Marty Riessen Flag of France Jean Claude Barclay
Flag of France Françoise Durr
6–3, 6–2
1969 US Open (6) Flag of the United States Marty Riessen Flag of the United States Dennis Ralston
Flag of the United States Françoise Durr
0–6, 6–4, 6–4
1970 US Open (7) Flag of the United States Marty Riessen Flag of South Africa Frew McMillan
Flag of the United States Judy Tegart Dalton
0–6, 6–4, 6–4
1972 US Open (8) Flag of the United States Marty Riessen Flag of Romania Ilie Năstase
Flag of the United States Rosemary Casals
0–6, 6–4, 6–4
1975 Wimbledon (5) Flag of the United States Marty Riessen Flag of Australia Allan Stone
Flag of the Netherlands Betty Stöve
6–4, 7–5
Runner-ups (4)
Year  ↓ Championship  ↓ Partner  ↓ Opponents in Final  ↓ Score in Final  ↓
1964 Wimbledon Flag of Australia Ken Fletcher Flag of Australia Fred Stolle
Flag of Australia Lesley Turner Bowrey
6–4, 6–4
1968 Australian Championships Flag of Australia Allan Stone Flag of Australia Dick Crealy
Flag of the United States Billie Jean King
walkover
1971 Wimbledon Flag of the United States Marty Riessen Flag of Australia Owen Davidson
Flag of the United States Billie Jean King
3–6, 6–2, 15–13
1973 US Open Flag of the United States Marty Riessen Flag of Australia Owen Davidson
Flag of the United States Billie Jean King
6–3, 3–6, 7–6

Grand Slam tournament timelines

Singles
Tournament 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 Career SR
Australia 2R W W W W W W W A F W W W A W A QF 11 / 14
France A A QF W QF W F SF A A W W 3R A W A A 5 / 10
Wimbledon A A QF 2R W F W SF A QF SF W F A SF A SF 3 / 12
United States A A SF W F 4R W A A QF W W A SF W A QF 5 / 11
SR 0 / 1 1 / 1 1 / 4 3 / 4 2 / 4 2 / 4 3 / 4 1 / 3 0 / 0 0 / 3 3 / 4 4 / 4 1 / 3 0 / 1 3 / 4 0 / 0 0 / 3 24 / 47

A = did not participate in the tournament.

SR = the ratio of the number of Grand Slam singles tournaments won to the number of those tournaments played.

Women's doubles
Tournament 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 Career SR
Australia A F W W W F W F A SF W W W A W A F 8 / 13
France A A 3R F F W W W A A F SF SF A W A A 4 / 10
Wimbledon A A F SF F W 3R F A QF W QF F A QF A QF 2 / 12
United States A A 2R QF W F A A A W F W A F W A W 5 / 10
SR 0 / 0 0 / 1 1 / 4 1 / 4 2 / 4 2 / 4 2 / 3 1 / 3 0 / 0 1 / 3 2 / 4 2 / 4 1 / 3 0 / 1 3 / 4 0 / 0 1 / 3 19 / 45

A = did not participate in the tournament.

SR = the ratio of the number of Grand Slam women's doubles tournaments won to the number of those tournaments played.

Mixed doubles
Tournament 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 Career SR
Australia A A A A W W W SF A F W NH NH NH NH NH NH 4 / 6
France A A SF A W W W 3R A A W SF 3R A A A A 4 / 8
Wimbledon A A SF A W F W W A W SF 2R A A F A W 5 / 10
United States A A W W W W W A A A W W A W F A SF 8 / 10
SR 0 / 0 0 / 0 1 / 3 1 / 1 4 / 4 3 / 4 4 / 4 1 / 3 0 / 0 1 / 2 3 / 4 1 / 3 0 / 1 1 / 1 0 / 2 0 / 0 1 / 2 21 / 34

NH = event not held.

A = did not participate in the tournament.

SR = the ratio of the number of Grand Slam mixed doubles tournaments won to the number of those tournaments played.

Note: The shared mixed doubles titles at the Australian Championships/Open in 1965 and 1969 traditionally are not counted in Court's Grand Slam win total because the finals were never played. Otherwise, she would have 21 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles, which is reflected in the above table.

Wimbledon singles record

Court's overall win-loss record at Wimbledon was 51-9 (85%) in 12 years (1961-1966, 1968-1971, 1973, 1975). (Her win total includes one mid-match retirement but does not include any first round byes.) Her only losses were to Evonne Goolagong Cawley in 1975 and 1971, Chris Evert in 1973, Ann Haydon Jones in 1969, Judy Tegart Dalton in 1968, Billie Jean King in 1966 and 1962, Maria Bueno in 1964, and Christine Truman Janes in 1961.

Court was 3–2 in finals, 5–4 in semifinals, and 9–2 in quarterfinals. Court failed to reach the quarterfinals only once, in 1962 during her second Wimbledon. After receiving a bye during the first round, Court lost to unseeded Billie Jean King in the second round.

Court was 5–6 in three set matches, 46-3 in two set matches, and 0–2 in deuce third sets, i.e., sets that were tied 5–5 before being resolved.

Court was seeded all 12 years she entered Wimbledon. (The tournament seeded only 8 players through 1976.)

Court was 10-8 .556 against seeded players. She was 41-1 against unseeded players, her only loss occurring during the second round of the 1962 tournament against Billie Jean King.

Against her major rivals at Wimbledon, Court was 3–2 versus Billie Jean King, 2–1 versus Christine Truman Janes, 1–0 versus Martina Navratilova, 1–0 versus Darlene Hard, 1–0 versus Karen Hantze Susman, 1–0 versus Nancy Richey Gunter, 1–0 versus Rosemary Casals, 1–1 versus Maria Bueno, 0–1 versus Ann Haydon Jones, 0–1 versus Chris Evert, and 0–2 versus Evonne Goolagong Cawley.

United States Championships/Open singles record

Court's overall win-loss record at the United States Championships/United States Open was 51-6 (89.5%) in 11 years (1961-1965, 1968-1970, 1972-1973, 1975). (Her win total does not include any first round byes.) Her only losses were to Martina Navratilova in 1975, Billie Jean King in 1972, Maria Bueno in 1968 and 1963, Karen Hantze Susman in 1964, and Darlene Hard in 1961.

Court was 5–1 in finals, 6–2 in semifinals, and 8–2 in quarterfinals. Court failed to reach the quarterfinals only once, in 1964 when she lost to Karen Hantze Susman in the fourth round.

Court was 9–3 in three set matches, 42-3 in two set matches, and 0–0 in deuce third sets, i.e., sets that were tied 5–5 before being resolved.

Court was seeded all 11 years she entered the United States Championships/United States Open.

Court was 13-6 against seeded players and 38-0 against unseeded players.

Against her major rivals at the United States Championships/United States Open, Court was 3–0 versus Nancy Richey Gunter, 2–0 versus Virginia Wade, 2–0 versus Rosemary Casals, 2–0 versus Françoise Durr, 2–0 versus Christine Truman Janes, 1–0 versus Chris Evert, 1–0 versus Evonne Goolagong Cawley, 1–1 versus Darlene Hard, 1–1 versus Billie Jean King, 1–2 versus Maria Bueno, 0–1 versus Martina Navratilova, and 0–1 versus Karen Hantze Susman.

French Championships/Open singles record

Court's overall win-loss record at the French Championships/French Open was 47-5 (90.3%) in 10 years (1961-1966, 1969-1971, 1973). (Her win total includes three walkovers but does not include any first round byes.) Her only losses were to Gail Chanfreau in 1971, Nancy Richey Gunter in 1966, Lesley Turner Bowrey in 1965, Věra Pužejová Suková in 1963, and Ann Haydon Jones in 1961.

Court was 5–1 in finals, 6–1 in semifinals, and 7–2 in quarterfinals. Court failed to reach the quarterfinals only once, in 1971 when she lost to unseeded Gail Chanfreau in the third round.

Court was 8–0 in three set matches, 39-5 in two set matches, and 2–0 in deuce third sets, i.e., sets that were tied 5–5 before being resolved.

Court was seeded all 10 years she entered the French Championships/French Open.

Court was 15-4 .789 against seeded players. She was 32-1 against unseeded players, her only loss occurring during the third round of the 1971 tournament against Gail Chanfreau.

Against her major rivals at the French Championships/French Open, Court was 2–1 versus Nancy Richey Gunter, 1–0 versus Chris Evert, 1–0 versus Evonne Goolagong Cawley, 1–0 versus Maria Bueno, 1–0 versus Rosemary Casals, 1–1 versus Ann Haydon Jones, 1–1 versus Lesley Turner Bowrey, and 1–1 versus Věra Pužejová Suková.

Australian Championships/Open singles record

Court's overall win-loss record at the Australian Championships/Australian Open was 61-3 (95.3%) in 14 years (1959-1966, 1968-1971, 1973, 1975). (Her win total includes one walkover but does not include any first round byes.) Her only losses were to Martina Navratilova in 1975, Billie Jean King in 1968, and Mary Carter Reitano in 1959.

Court was 11-1 in finals, 12-0 in semifinals, and 12-1 in quarterfinals. Court failed to reach the quarterfinals only once, in 1959 during her first Australian Championships. Court lost to fourth seeded Mary Carter Reitano in the second round.

Court was 6–0 in three set matches, 51-3 in two set matches, and 2–0 in deuce third sets, i.e., sets that were tied 5–5 before being resolved.

Court was seeded 13 of the 14 years she entered the Australian Championships/Australian Open.

Court was 26-3 .897 against seeded players and 35-0 against unseeded players.

Against her major rivals at the Australian Championships/Australian Open, Court was 5–0 versus Jan Lehane O'Neill, 4–0 versus Evonne Goolagong Cawley, 3–0 versus Kerry Melville Reid, 2–0 versus Maria Bueno, 2–0 versus Rosemary Casals, 2–0 versus Lesley Turner Bowrey, 2–1 versus Billie Jean King, 1–0 versus Judy Tegart Dalton, 1–0 versus Françoise Durr, 1–0 versus Nancy Richey Gunter, and 0–1 versus Martina Navratilova.

Honours

See also

References

External links

Preceded by
Maureen Connolly Brinker (1953)
Calendar year grand slam champions
1970
Succeeded by
Steffi Graf (1988)
Persondata
NAME Court, Margaret Smith
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION Australian tennis player
DATE OF BIRTH 16 July 1942
PLACE OF BIRTH Perth, Western Australia, Australia
DATE OF DEATH
PLACE OF DEATH