Margaret Court is an Australian tennis player, considered one of the greatest in history. She holds the all-time record for Grand Slam singles titles, across both men and women, with 24 crowns.
Margaret Court(1942 — ?)
Margaret Smith Court
Australie
6 min read
Frequently asked questions
Key Facts
- Born on 16 July 1942 in Albury, Australia
- Holds the record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles (all-time record for both men and women)
- Achieved the calendar-year Grand Slam in singles in 1970 (all four major tournaments in the same year)
- Won more than 60 Grand Slam titles in total across all categories (singles, doubles, mixed)
- First woman of the Open Era to complete the Grand Slam in singles
Works & Achievements
At 17, she wins the first of her eleven Australian Open singles titles, a tournament record.
First Australian woman to win the Wimbledon women's singles, a title she would claim three times.
She wins all four major tournaments in the same year, a feat achieved by only a handful of players in history.
An all-time record total of major singles crowns, still unmatched among women and men alike.
Combining singles, doubles, and mixed doubles, she holds the greatest number of major titles in history.
An account of her life and career, a first-hand testimony on tennis from the pre-Open era and the Open era.
Establishment of her Pentecostal church in Perth, marking her second career as a pastor.
Anecdotes
In 1970, Margaret Court achieved the calendar-year Grand Slam in singles: in the same year she won the Australian Open, Roland-Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open. She was only the second woman in history to do so, after Maureen Connolly in 1953. The Wimbledon final against Billie Jean King, won 14-12, 11-9, remains one of the longest and most intense ever played.
On 13 May 1973, American Mother's Day, Court faced former champion Bobby Riggs, then aged 55, in a “men versus women” match. Very tense, she lost heavily 6-2, 6-1. The press nicknamed this defeat the “Mother's Day Massacre.” It was this victory that pushed Riggs to then challenge Billie Jean King, who would beat him soundly.
Margaret Court still holds the all-time record for Grand Slam singles titles, men and women combined, with 24 crowns. Counting doubles and mixed doubles, she amassed 64 major titles, another historic record.
As a teenager, Margaret Smith trained in secret on the courts of the tennis club in Albury, her hometown, whenever they were free. She also took up physical training with weights and running, highly unusual for a woman in the 1960s, which gave her exceptional power and endurance.
After her career, Court became a Pentecostal pastor and in 1995 founded the Victory Life Centre, a church in Perth. Her public stances against homosexuality would spark fierce controversy, with some calling for the arena at the Australian Open that bears her name to be renamed.
Primary Sources
Tennis has been my whole life, but it does not define who I am. I always wanted to be the best, and to do that I had to work harder than everyone else.
Margaret Court defeated Billie Jean King 14-12, 11-9 after an exhausting duel, producing one of the most closely contested finals in the tournament's history.
In front of the cameras, the 55-year-old Riggs easily dominated the Australian champion 6-2, 6-1, proving that a former player could still challenge the best.
Key Places
Margaret Court's hometown, where she learned tennis as a child on the public courts near her home.
The setting for many of Court's Australian Open titles, which she won eleven times in singles.
Site of her 1963 victory, the first by an Australian woman, and of the epic 1970 final against Billie Jean King.
Historic site of the US Open, where Court won several of her Grand Slam titles.
Site of the Court–Riggs match, the “Mother's Day Massacre,” on 13 May 1973.
Pentecostal church founded by Court in 1995, the center of her religious life after tennis.
Typical Objects
In the 1960s-70s, rackets were still made of laminated wood, heavy and with a small head. Court mastered their power thanks to her exceptional physical strength.
Balls were white until fluorescent yellow was adopted in 1972 for television. Court played most of her career with white balls.
Women's tennis attire required immaculate white, especially at Wimbledon. Court wore short dresses suited to her aggressive net game.
Court was one of the first players to incorporate strength training into her preparation, which was rare and controversial for a woman at the time.
The cups won across the four major tournaments symbolize her 24 singles titles, a record that still stands unbeaten.
After her career, Court became a Pentecostal pastor; the Bible became the central instrument of her ministry at the Victory Life Centre.
School Curriculum
Vocabulary & Tags
Key Vocabulary
Daily Life
Morning
During competition season, Margaret Court started early with physical training: running, strengthening exercises, and work at the net. She placed great importance on her athletic fitness, in a sport that was still barely professionalized.
Afternoon
Afternoons were devoted to matches or long hitting sessions on court, often under the full Australian sun. She tirelessly rehearsed her serve and volleys, the foundations of her attacking game.
Evening
In the evening, she recovered, watched her diet, and rested before her matches. Plane trips to tournaments in Europe and America also shaped her evenings as an international player.
Food
She followed a balanced and structured diet, attentive to the energy needs of a top-level athlete, which was still uncommon at the time. The idea of sports nutrition was then in its infancy.
Clothing
On the courts, she wore the regulation white tennis dresses, short to ease movement. At Wimbledon, all-white attire was strictly required.
Housing
Born into a modest family in Albury, she later lived between Australia and long international tours. After her marriage in 1967, she settled permanently in Western Australia, near Perth.
Historical Timeline
Period Vocabulary
Liens externes & ressources
Références
Œuvres
Premier titre à l'Open d'Australie
1960
Victoire à Wimbledon
1963
Grand Chelem calendaire en simple
1970
Record de 24 titres du Grand Chelem en simple
1960-1973
64 titres du Grand Chelem toutes catégories
1960-1975
Autobiographie « Court on Court: A Life in Tennis »
1975
Fondation de la Victory Life Centre
1995
