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Australian tennis great Margaret Court has been acknowledged for her on-court achievements, despite what a fellow tennis legend calls her "offensive views".
In a ceremony at Rod Laver Arena tonight, Court received a special trophy presented by Rod Laver.
The ceremony marked 50 years since she won the Grand Slam, claiming all four major tennis tournaments in 1970.
She still holds the all-time record of 24 grand slam single titles in her career, one more than Serena Williams.
But her comments on race, homosexuality and the transgender community have sparked protests at previous Australian Open tournaments and created a challenge for Tennis Australia, which has distanced itself from her personal views.
Despite this, as Court held the trophy aloft, the crowd applauded, cheered and whistled.
Court is Australia's 'crazy aunt', McEnroe says
In a video released today, tennis legend John McEnroe labelled Court Australia's "crazy aunt" and urged Williams to "do me a favour" and win two more Grand Slams this year so "we can leave Margaret Court and her offensive views in the past where they both belong".
In the latest of his regular, light-hearted "Commissioner of Tennis" videos for Eurosport UK, McEnroe slammed Court's comments comments and criticised Tennis Australia's decision to recognise her tennis achievements .
"The air quality in Melbourne is not the only nightmare Tennis Australia is having, Margaret Court is another one," McEnroe said in the video posted to Twitter by the broadcaster.
Australian Open director Craig Tiley has said the event was a recognition of her sporting achievements only.
"There's a difference between a recognition of that and a celebration of someone. Her recognition is for her tennis achievements only," he said.
McEnroe said "it doesn't work that way".
"You can't separate the person from their achievements," he said.
Tennis icons back Tennis Australia
Other tennis greats have been less strident in their comments.
Former Australian champion Jelena Dokic, who is participating in the tournament's legends doubles for the first time this year, this afternoon backed Tennis Australia's approach to the "Margaret Court question".
"Obviously, the things that she has done and said off the court are incredibly hurtful and unacceptable and obviously I don't agree with them in any way, but I think the way Tennis Australia has gone about it has been great," Dokic said.
"[They are] honouring her tennis achievements but at the same time having that clear line between what's right and what's wrong.
"It's all about inclusion at the end of the day, which they've done."
Years of controversy plague pastor
Court is the pastor of the Victory Life Centre, a Christian church in Perth.
In an interview on ABC Radio Perth last week she said she initially had to push for the 50th anniversary events.
"It's not a lot, but it's good what's happening," she said.
"It is well deserved. It is something that I did for my nation and I'm always very proud of it.
"I just wish the press would keep to my tennis …"
Court said her religious views should not affect what she achieved in tennis.
"I teach what the Bible says about things and you get persecuted for it," she said.
"But I still believe all that should not come into 50 years ago what I did in tennis for my nation and the game itself.
"It's a Christian nation and we have Christian values and Christian beliefs and I had those when I was little and you can't take something out of a person if all your life you've believed things."
Court attracted fierce criticism from LGBTQI allies in 2017 when she wrote an open letter stating she would boycott Qantas over its support of same-sex marriage.
In 2013, Court wrote a letter to the editor in a newspaper lamenting the birth of Australian tennis player Casey Dellacqua's child in a same-sex relationship.
"It is with sadness that I see that this baby has seemingly been deprived of a father," Court wrote.
During last year's Australian Open, Vogue magazine editor-in-chief Anna Wintour used a speech to call for the Margaret Court Arena to be renamed, echoing earlier calls including by fellow tennis greats Martina Navratilova and American tennis great Billie Jean King.
"Intolerance has no place in tennis," Wintour said.
"Margaret Court was a champion on the court but a meeting point for players of all nations, preferences, and backgrounds should celebrate somebody who was a champion off the court as well."
Meanwhile, in a show of inclusivity, the Australia Open will host its third "Glam Slam" event on the clay courts at Melbourne Park beginning on January 30.
The event features more than 200 players from 30 countries and is the only LGBTQI tennis event in the world to be staged during a Grand Slam tournament at the same venue.
Topics: sport, tennis, community-and-society, sexuality, religion-and-beliefs, melbourne-3000, perth-6000
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