John McEnroe has slammed Margaret Court as a “crazy aunt” - and urged Serena Williams to win two more Grand Slams to leave her “in the past”.
The controversial 24-time Major was presented with a full-size replica Australian Open trophy by her fellow Aussie legend Rod Laver to commemorate the 50th anniversary of her calendar-year Grand Slam.
But Court, now 77 and a Christian minister, has divided her country with her views on same-sex marriage and transgender athletes.
There were two protest flags and muted applause for Court in an arena only half full before tonight's clash between Nick Kyrgios and Rafa Nadal.
But before the ceremony, Eurosport analyst had slammed Court and Tennis Australia's decision to recognise her achievements.
“The air quality in Melbourne is not the only nightmare that Tennis Australia is having. Margaret Court is another one,” he said on his Commissioner of Tennis Twitter video.
"There’s only one thing longer than the list of Margaret Court’s tennis achievements: it’s her list of offensive and homophobic statements.
"Just a few examples. During the apartheid regime in South Africa, she said: ‘I love South Africa. They have the racial situation better organized than anyone else’. What?
"About transgender children and LGBTIQ: ‘It’s all the work of the devil… tennis is full of lesbians… it is sad for children to be exposed to homosexuality’.
"Serena, do me a favour: get two more Grand Slams this year and get to 25, so we can leave Margaret Court and her offensive views in the past, where they both belong."
“Margaret Court is actually a ventriloquist using the Bible of the dummy to say whatever she wants.
“Tennis Australia is facing a dilemma – what do they do with their crazy aunt?
“Its solution? “We will recognise what she did in 1970 but we won’t celebrate the person. Huh? It doesn’t work that way. You can’t separate the person from her achievements.”
Martina Navratilova added: "It's just unfortunate because I think what Margaret Court doesn't realise is how many people she hurts with her rhetoric,"
"She can believe whatever she wants but she's actually hurting people and that's not OK."
