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Margaret Court

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Margaret Court is a legendary Australian tennis player and a Christian minister. She holds the record for the most major titles in women's tennis history. During her career, she won a total of 64 major titles. This total includes 24 women's singles titles, 19 women's doubles titles, and 21 mixed doubles titles. Her dominance across different types of play makes her a unique figure in sports.

Margaret Court 1964
Margaret Court 1964

Many experts, including fellow player Evonne Goolagong, have called her the greatest female player ever. The International Tennis Hall of Fame noted that no other player has matched her strength of performance.

Court's playing style was built on physical power and aggressive movement. She used a style known as serve and volley. In this method, a player serves the ball and immediately rushes toward the net.

Margaret Court at the net 1970
Margaret Court at the net 1970

Court had a very long reach and was exceptionally strong. These traits made her a formidable opponent when she was near the net. She was also known for her effective overhead shots. To maintain this level of play, she followed a strict training regimen. She performed circuit running, weight-lifting, and running on sandhills. This intense fitness training helped her remain relatively injury-free throughout her long career.

Her career achievements include several rare milestones that few players have ever reached. She is one of only three women to win the "Boxed Set." A Boxed Set means winning every major singles, doubles, and mixed doubles title. Court is actually the only player in history to complete a double Boxed Set. She also achieved a double career Grand Slam in two different disciplines. This means she won all major titles in both singles and doubles. She shares this specific honor with players like Martina Navratilova and Serena Williams.

Court's journey began in Albury, New South Wales, where she was born in 1942. Her early childhood was spent in a modest two-bedroom home. She was a very active child who enjoyed many different sports. She played basketball, cricket, softball, and soccer. She even discovered tennis at age eight by hitting a ball against a wall with a wooden plank. A local coach named Wally Rutter eventually recognized her talent. He encouraged her to pursue the sport professionally. At age 16, she moved to Melbourne to train under Frank Sedgman. Sedgman was a former world number one who focused on her physical conditioning. He even taught her to play on clay courts to prepare her for the French Open.

Her professional success arrived very early in her life. At age 17, she won her first major title at the 1960 Australian Championships. This was the start of a streak where she won seven consecutive Australian titles. In 1962, she became the first Australian woman to win Grand Slam tournaments held abroad. She won the French and US Championships that year. By 1963, she had completed the career Grand Slam in singles.

Margaret Court doubles Wimbledon 1971
Margaret Court doubles Wimbledon 1971

In 1970, she achieved another massive feat by winning all four major singles titles in a single calendar year. This was part of a record-breaking run of six consecutive major singles victories.

Court's life also involved significant personal transitions and breaks from the sport. She took several hiatuses to start a family. She gave birth to her first child, Daniel, in 1972. Despite this, she returned to the tour later that year and won three major singles titles in 1973. She had three more children before retiring permanently in 1977. Her career also included a famous exhibition match in 1973. She played against Bobby Riggs, a 55-year-old former male world number one. Riggs won the match using lobs and drop shots. Later in life, Court moved into religious work. She became a Christian minister in the Pentecostal tradition in 1991 and founded Margaret Court Ministries.

Today, Court's legacy is reflected in both sports and public debate. In 2003, a major stadium at Melbourne Park was named the Margaret Court Arena. However, since 2012, there have been calls to change the name. These calls are based on her public statements regarding gay and lesbian rights. Despite these controversies, her statistical impact on tennis remains unmatched. She reached the singles final in 29 major tournaments and the semifinals in 36. Her win percentage in major singles finals was an impressive 82.8 percent. Her career remains a central part of the history of professional tennis.

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File:Margaret Court 1964.jpg
Margaret Court 1964.jpg
File:Margaret Court at the net 1970.jpg
Margaret Court at the net 1970.jpg
File:Margaret Court doubles Wimbledon 1971.jpg
Margaret Court doubles Wimbledon 1971.jpg
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