Tennis champion John McEnroe has slammed Tennis Australia’s decision to honour the sporting achievements of Margaret Court arguing that you cannot separate a person from their actions.
In the latest of his Comissioner of Tennis videos for Eurosport UK McEnroe takes aim at the tennis player turned religious leader and calls out her long history of making homophobic and transphobic comments.
The sports governing body has said tonight’s event will honour the 50th anniversary of Court’s tennis achievements, but will not be celebrating her as a person.
“There’s a difference between a recognition of that and a celebration of someone. Her recognition is for her tennis achievements only,” McEnroe said. “Huh? It doesn’t work that way”.
“You can’t separate the person from their achievements,” he said.
Working his way through some of COurt’s most famous comments about apartheid, the LGBTIQ community and transgender youth, McEnroe described Court as the sport’s “crazy aunt.”
McEnroe, who was famed for his on court outbursts during his own tennis career, said he hoped Serena Williams would win two more grand slam tournaments so Court’s record would be broken, and she and her offensive views could be left in the past.
“Please win two more Grand Slams so we can leave Margaret Court and her offensive views in the past where she belongs”
John McEnroe aka the Comissioner of Tennis is back and he’s got a request for @SerenaWilliams 🙏 pic.twitter.com/3TeKa8JS2B
— Eurosport UK (@Eurosport_UK) January 26, 2020
