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Margaret Court

Country (sports)	Australia
Residence	Perth, Australia
Height	5'9 (1.75 m)
Turned pro	1968
Retired	1977
Plays	Right-handed
Prize money	-
Singles
Career record	-
Career titles	92 during open era
Highest ranking	1 (1973)
Grand Slam singles 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	-
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 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. Many consider her the greatest female tennis 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)."

Biography

She was born Margaret Jean Smith in 1942, in Albury, New South Wales, the youngest of 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 Australian Championships in 1960.

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. She 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 handily 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 to even the score.

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.

Court now lives in Perth, Western Australia, and runs the Victory Life Centre, a Christian ministry.

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

Views on homosexuality

In 1990, Court said that Martina Navratilova and other lesbian and bisexual players were ruining the sport of tennis and setting a bad example for younger players.

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

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.

Career timeline

• 1960 - Won her first singles title at the Australian Championships but lost the junior girls final to Lesley Turner Bowrey.
• 1962 - Won three of the four Grand Slam singles tournaments.
• 1963 - Became the first Australian woman to win a singles title at Wimbledon. She and Ken Fletcher became the only team to win all four Grand Slam mixed doubles titles during the same calendar year.
• 1964 - Won three of the four Grand Slam mixed doubles tournaments. Her women's doubles title at Wimbledon completed her career "boxed set" of Grand Slam titles.
• 1965 - Won three of the four Grand Slam singles tournaments and all four Grand Slam mixed doubles titles, with three different partners.
• 1966 - Temporarily retired.
• 1969 - Won three of the four Grand Slam singles and mixed doubles tournaments.
• 1970 - Won all four Grand Slam singles tournaments, defeating Kerry Melville Reid in the Australian Open final, Helga Niessen Masthoff in the French Open final, Billie Jean King in the Wimbledon final, and Rosemary Casals in the US Open final. Maureen Connolly Brinker in 1953 and Steffi Graf in 1988 are the only other women who have won all four Grand Slam singles tournaments during the same calendar year.
• 1973 - Won three of the four Grand Slam singles and women's doubles tournaments. Lost her match with Bobby Riggs. Her women's doubles title at the US Open completed a "boxed set" of Grand Slam titles won exclusively after the start of the open era in 1968.
• 1975 - Played the final Grand Slam singles match of her career, losing to Martina Navratilova 6–2, 6–4 in a quarterfinal of the US Open. Partnered with Virginia Wade at the US Open to win her 62nd Grand Slam title and 19th Grand Slam women's doubles title, defeating Billie Jean King and Rosemary Casals in the final. This was Court's last Grand Slam title.
• 1977 - Played the final singles match of her career, defeating Greer Stevens 5–7, 7–6, 6–3 in the third round of the Virginia Slims of Detroit. Court defaulted the quarterfinal to Francoise Durr upon learning that she was pregnant with her third child.

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%) in which she appeared, 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 finals in 29, the semifinals in 36, and the quarterfinals in 43 of the 47 Grand Slams singles tournaments she played during her career. 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. During her career, 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 slam in 1970, the mixed doubles slam in 1963 with fellow Australian Ken Fletcher, and the mixed doubles 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.

Grand Slam finals

Singles (29)

Wins (24)

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

Runner-ups (5)

Year	Championship	Opponent in Final	Score in Final
1963	U.S. Championships	Maria Bueno	7–5, 6–4
1964	Wimbledon	Maria Bueno	6–4, 7–9, 6–3
1965	French Championships	Lesley Turner Bowrey	6–3, 6–4
1968	Australian Championships	Billie Jean King	6–1, 6–2
1971	Wimbledon	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	Mary Carter Reitano	Mary Bevis Hawton Jan Lehane O'Neill	6–4, 3–6, 7–5
1962	Australian Championships (2)	Robyn Ebbern	Darlene Hard Mary Carter Reitano	6–4, 6–4
1963	Australian Championships (3)	Robyn Ebbern	Jan Lehane O'Neill Lesley Turner Bowrey	6–1, 6–3
1963	U.S. Championships	Robyn Ebbern	Maria Bueno Darlene Hard	4–6, 10–8, 6–3
1964	French Championships	Lesley Turner Bowrey	Norma Baylon Helga Schultze	6–3, 6–1
1964	Wimbledon	Lesley Turner Bowrey	Billie Jean King Karen Hantze Susman	7–5, 6–2
1965	Australian Championships (4)	Lesley Turner Bowrey	Robyn Ebbern Billie Jean King	1–6, 6–2, 6–3
1965	French Championships(2)	Lesley Turner Bowrey	Francoise Durr Jeanine Lieffrig	6–3, 6–1
1966	French Championships (3)	Judy Tegart Dalton	Jill Blackman Fay Toyne	4–6, 6–1, 6–1
1968	US Open (2)	Maria Bueno	Billie Jean King Rosemary Casals	4–6, 9–7, 8–6
1969	Australian Open (5)	Judy Tegart Dalton	Rosemary Casals Billie Jean King	6–4, 6–4
1969	Wimbledon (2)	Judy Tegart Dalton	Patricia Hogan Peggy Michel	9–7, 6–2
1970	Australian Open (6)	Judy Tegart Dalton	Kerry Melville Reid Kerry Harris	6–3, 6–1
1970	US Open (3)	Judy Tegart Dalton	Rosemary Casals Virginia Wade	6–3, 6–4
1971	Australian Open (7)	Evonne Goolagong Cawley	Jill Emmerson Lesley Hunt	6–0, 6–0
1973	Australian Open (8)	Virginia Wade	Kerry Harris Kerry Melville Reid	6–4, 6–4
1973	US Open (4)	Virginia Wade	Billie Jean King Rosemary Casals	3–6, 6–3, 7–5
1973	French Open (4)	Virginia Wade	Francoise Durr Betty Stove	6–2, 6–3
1975	US Open (5)	Virginia Wade	Billie Jean King Rosemary Casals	7–5, 2–6, 7–6

Runner-ups (14)

Year	Championship	Partner	Opponents in Final	Score in Final
1960	Australian Championships	Lorraine Coghlan Robinson	Maria Bueno Christine Truman Janes	6–2, 5–7, 6–2
1961	Wimbledon	Jan Lehane O'Neill	Billie Jean King Karen Hantze Susman	6–3, 6–4
1962	French Championships	Justina Bricka	Sandra Reynolds Price Renee Schuurman Haygarth	6–4, 6–4
1963	French Championships (2)	Robyn Ebbern	Ann Haydon Jones Renee Schuurman Haygarth	7–5, 6–4
1963	Wimbledon (2)	Robyn Ebbern	Maria Bueno Darlene Hard	8–6, 9–7
1964	Australian Championships (2)	Robyn Ebbern	Judy Tegart Dalton Lesley Turner Bowrey	6–4, 6–4
1964	U.S. Championships	Lesley Turner Bowrey	Billie Jean King Karen Hantze Susman	3–6, 6–2, 6–4
1966	Australian Championships (3)	Lesley Turner Bowrey	Carole Caldwell Graebner Nancy Richey Gunter	6–4, 7–5
1966	Wimbledon (3)	Judy Tegart Dalton	Maria Bueno Nancy Richey Gunter	6–3, 4–6, 6–4
1969	French Open (3)	Nancy Richey Gunter	Ann Haydon Jones Francoise Durr	6–0, 4–6, 7–5
1969	US Open (2)	Virginia Wade	Francoise Durr Darlene Hard	0–6, 6–4, 6–4
1971	Wimbledon (4)	Evonne Goolagong Cawley	Billie Jean King Rosemary Casals	6–3, 6–2
1972	US Open (3)	Virginia Wade	Francoise Durr Betty Stove	6–3, 1–6, 6–3
1975	Australian Championships (4)	Olga Morozova	Evonne Goolagong Cawley 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	Robert Mark	Dennis Ralston Darlene Hard	3–6, 6–2, 6–4
1962	U.S. Championships (2)	Fred Stolle	Frank Froehling III Lesley Turner Bowrey	0–6, 6–4, 6–4
1963	Australian Championships	Ken Fletcher	Fred Stolle Lesley Turner Bowrey	6–4, 6–4
1963	French Championships	Ken Fletcher	Fred Stolle Lesley Turner Bowrey	6–1, 6–2
1963	Wimbledon	Ken Fletcher	Bob Hewitt Darlene Hard	11–9, 6–4
1963	U.S. Championships (3)	Ken Fletcher	Ed Rubinoff Judy Tegart Dalton	0–6, 6–4, 6–4
1964	Australian Championships (2)	Ken Fletcher	Mike Sangster Jan Lehane O'Neill	6–4, 6–4
1964	French Championships (2)	Ken Fletcher	Fred Stolle Lesley Turner Bowrey	6–3, 4–6, 8–6
1964	U.S. Championships (4)	John Newcombe	Ed Rubinoff Judy Tegart Dalton	0–6, 6–4, 6–4
1965	Australian Championships (3)	John Newcombe	Owen Davidson Robyn Ebbern	shared championship, final not played
1965	French Championships (3)	Ken Fletcher	John Newcombe Maria Bueno	6–4, 6–4
1965	Wimbledon (2)	Ken Fletcher	Tony Roche Judy Tegart Dalton	12–10, 6–3
1965	U.S. Championships (5)	Fred Stolle	Frank Froehling III Judy Tegart Dalton	0–6, 6–4, 6–4
1966	Wimbledon (3)	Ken Fletcher	Dennis Ralston Billie Jean King	4–6, 6–3, 6–3
1968	Wimbledon (4)	Ken Fletcher	Alex Metreveli Olga Morozova	6–1, 14–12
1969	Australian Open (4)	Marty Riessen	Fred Stolle Ann Haydon Jones	shared championship, final not played
1969	French Championships (4)	Marty Riessen	Jean Claude Barclay Francoise Durr	6–3, 6–2
1969	US Open (6)	Marty Riessen	Dennis Ralston Francoise Durr	0–6, 6–4, 6–4
1970	US Open (7)	Marty Riessen	Frew McMillan Judy Tegart Dalton	0–6, 6–4, 6–4
1972	US Open (8)	Marty Riessen	Ilie Nastase Rosemary Casals	0–6, 6–4, 6–4
1975	Wimbledon (5)	Marty Riessen	Allan Stone Betty Stove	6–4, 7–5

Runner-ups (4)

Year	Championship	Partner	Opponents in Final	Score in Final
1964	Wimbledon	Ken Fletcher	Fred Stolle Lesley Turner Bowrey	6–4, 6–4
1968	Australian Championships	Allan Stone	Dick Crealy Billie Jean King	walkover
1971	Wimbledon	Marty Riessen	Owen Davidson Billie Jean King	3–6, 6–2, 15–13
1973	US Open	Marty Riessen	Owen Davidson Billie Jean King	6–3, 3–6, 7–6

Grand Slam tournament timelines

Singles

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

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

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.

See also

• Performance timelines for all female tennis players who reached at least one Grand Slam final

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.)

• Seeded #1 in 1962 (lost second round), 1963 (champion), 1964 (finalist), 1966 (semifinalist), 1969 (semifinalist), 1970 (champion), 1971 (finalist), 1973 (semifinalist).
• Seeded #2 in 1961 (quarterfinalist), 1965 (champion), 1968 (quarterfinalist).
• Seeded #5 in 1975 (semifinalist).

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.

• Versus #1 seeds, Court was 1–0 (Maria Bueno (1965)).
• Versus #2 seeds, Court was 2–1 (wins: Martina Navratilova (1975), Billie Jean King (1970); loss: Maria Bueno (1964)).
• Versus #3 seeds, Court was 1–1 (win: Billie Jean King (1964); loss: Evonne Goolagong Cawley (1971)).
• Versus #4 seeds, Court was 1–4 (win: Darlene Hard (1963); losses: Evonne Goolagong Cawley (1975), Chris Evert (1973), Ann Haydon Jones (1969), Billie Jean King (1966)).
• Versus #5 seeds, Court was 1–0 (Rosemary Casals (1970)).
• Versus #6 seeds, Court was 0–1 (Christine Truman Janes (1961)).
• Versus #7 seeds, Court was 1–1 (win: Julie Heldman (1969); loss: Judy Tegart Dalton (1968)).
• Versus #8 seeds, Court was 3–0 (Olga Morozova (1973), Helga Niessen Masthoff (1970), Renee Schuurman Haygarth (1963)).

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.

• Seeded #1 in 1962 (champion), 1963 (finalist), 1965 (champion), 1970 (champion).
• Seeded #2 in 1964 (lost fourth round), 1969 (champion), 1973 (champion).
• Seeded #4 in 1968 (quarterfinalist).
• Seeded #5 in 1961 (semifinalist), 1972 (semifinalist), 1975 (quarterfinalist).

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

• Versus #1 seeds, Court was 0–2 (Billie Jean King (1972), Darlene Hard (1961)).
• Versus #2 seeds, Court was 1–0 (Rosemary Casals (1970)).
• Versus #3 seeds, Court was 3–1 (wins: Chris Evert (1973), Nancy Richey Gunter (1970 and 1965); loss: Martina Navratilova (1975)).
• Versus #4 seeds, Court was 3–1 (wins: Evonne Goolagong Cawley (1973), Rosemary Casals (1972), Christine Truman Janes (1961); loss: Maria Bueno (1963)).
• Versus #5 seeds, Court was 2–1 (wins: Virginia Wade (1969), Billie Jean King (1965); loss: Maria Bueno (1968)).
• Versus #6 seeds, Court was 2–0 (Nancy Richey Gunter (1969), Francoise Durr (1965)).
• Versus #7 seeds, Court was 2–0 (Virginia Wade (1973), Christine Truman Janes (1963)).
• Versus #11 seeds, Court was 0–1 (Karen Hantze Susman (1964)).

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 Francoise 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.

• Seeded #1 in 1963 (quarterfinalist), 1964 (champion), 1965 (finalist), 1966 (semifinalist), 1969 (champion), 1970 (champion), 1971 (lost third round), 1973 (champion).
• Seeded #2 in 1962 (champion).
• Seeded #3 in 1961 (quarterfinalist).

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.

• Versus #2 seeds, Court was 2–0 (Chris Evert (1973), Maria Bueno (1964)).
• Versus #3 seeds, Court was 1–1 (win: Ann Haydon Jones (1969); loss: Lesley Turner Bowrey (1965)).
• Versus #4 seeds, Court was 4–0 (Evonne Goolagong Cawley (1973), Julie Heldman (1970), Nancy Richey Gunter (1969 and 1965)).
• Versus #5 seeds, Court was 0–1 (Nancy Richey Gunter (1966)).
• Versus #6 seeds, Court was 1–1 (win: Renee Schuurman Haygarth (1962); loss: Ann Haydon Jones (1961)).
• Versus #7 seeds, Court was 2–0 (Helga Niessen Masthoff (1970), Edda Buding (1962)).
• Versus #8 seeds, Court was 3–1 (wins: Rosemary Casals (1970), Kerry Melville Reid (1969), Věra Pužejová Suková (1964); loss: Věra Pužejová Pužejová Suková (1963)).
• Versus #9 seeds, Court was 1–0 (Norma Baylon (1965)).
• Versus #13 seeds, Court was 1–0 (Lesley Turner Bowrey (1962)).

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.

• Seeded #1 overall in 1961 (champion), 1962 (champion), 1963 (champion), 1964 (champion), 1970 (champion), 1971 (champion), 1973 (champion), 1975 (quarterfinalist).
• Seeded #1 domestic in 1965 (champion), 1966 (champion).
• Seeded #2 overall in 1969 (champion).
• Seeded #7 overall in 1960 (champion).
• Seeded #7 domestic in 1968 (finalist).
• Unseeded in 1959 (lost second round).

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

• Versus #1 seeds (overall, domestic, or foreign), Court was 5–1 (wins: Billie Jean King (1969), Lesley Turner Bowrey (1968), Nancy Richey Gunter (1966), Maria Bueno (1965 and 1960); loss: Billie Jean King (1968)).
• Versus #2 seeds (overall, domestic, or foreign), Court was 6–0 (Evonne Goolagong Cawley (1973 and 1971), Kerry Melville Reid (1970), Carole Caldwell Graebner (1966), Billie Jean King (1965), Jan Lehane O'Neill (1961)).
• Versus #3 seeds (overall, domestic, or foreign), Court was 3–0 (Rosemary Casals (1968), Jan Lehane O'Neill (1963 and 1960)).
• Versus #4 seeds (overall, domestic, or foreign), Court was 5–1 (wins: Karen Krantzcke (1970), Kerry Melville Reid (1973 and 1969), Yola Ramirez Ochoa (1962), Mary Carter Reitano (1960); loss: Mary Carter Reitano (1959)).
• Versus #5 seeds (overall, domestic, or foreign), Court was 4–0 (Rosemary Casals (1969), Norma Baylon (1965), Robyn Ebbern (1965), Jan Lehane O'Neill (1962)).
• Versus #7 seeds (overall, domestic, or foreign), Court was 1–0 (Madonna Schacht (1966)).
• Versus #8 seeds (overall, domestic, or foreign), Court was 2–1 (wins: Karen Krantzcke (1973), Helen Gourlay Cawley (1971)); loss: Martina Navratilova (1975)).

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 Francoise Durr, 1–0 versus Nancy Richey Gunter, and 0–1 versus Martina Navratilova.

Honours

• In 1967, she was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), for her services to sport and international relations.
• In 2000, Court was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for her impressive tennis career.
• In 2001, she was awarded the Centenary Medal for her service to Australian tennis.
• In 2007, she was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO), for her services to tennis, as a mentor and to the community.

References

1. "Hall of Famers - Margaret Court Smith "The Arm"". International Tennis Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2007-02-14.
2. Victory Life Centre, Perth Western Australia
3. Gay Bias Moves Off The Sidelines
4. A Woman of Character
5. Martina Navratilova: My Final Farewell
6. "Damir may have a point, says our greatest women's player", Sydney Morning Herald, 2002-12-19 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link)
7. "Damir may have a point, says our greatest women's player", Sydney Morning Herald, 2002-12-19 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link)
8. Bierley, Stephen (2002-12-17). "Damir may disappear but Jelena suffers still". The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-09-21.
9. "Damir may have a point, says our greatest women's player", Sydney Morning Herald, 2002-12-19 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link)
10. Margaret Smith Court thread at TennisForum
11. It's an Honour - Member of the Order of the British Empire
12. It's an Honour - Australian Sports Medal
13. It's an Honour - Centenary Medal
14. It's an Honour - Officer of the Order of Australia

External links

• Margaret Court at the Women's Tennis Association
• International Tennis Hall of Fame profile
• Official Wimbledon website profile
• Fed Cup record
• Roberts, Selena (21 August 2005), "Tennis's Other 'Battle of the Sexes,' Before King-Riggs", The New York Times{{citation}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)

Template:Persondata

• Australian tennis players
• Tennis Hall of Fame members
• Australian Open champions
• French Open champions
• Wimbledon champions
• US Open champions
• Western Australian Sports Star of the Year winners
• Western Australian sportspeople
• People from Albury, New South Wales
• Officers of the Order of Australia
• Members of the Order of the British Empire
• 1942 births
• Living people