Tennis star John McEnroe shares video ridiculing ‘crazy aunt’ Margaret Court for her ‘homophobic’ views
American tennis champion John McEnroe (Eurosport)
The 80s tennis legend John McEnroe has made a scathing video mocking the multi-Grand Slam champion and notorious ‘homophobe’ Margaret Court, calling her the “crazy aunt” of tennis.
Court’s lifetime of sporting achievements were celebrated at a ceremony in Melbourne on Monday, but her plaudits were overshadowed by her history of shocking controversial statements.
Her offensive views include likening gay people to Hitler, claiming lesbian tennis players “recruit” younger athletes, and calling transgender children “of the devil” – for which she was named 2018 Homophobe of the Year.
In the no-holds-barred video for Eurosport, McEnroe began: “This year marks the 50th anniversary of Margaret Court’s Grand Slam, and Tennis Australia faces a dilemma: ‘What do they do with their crazy aunt?'”
He continued: “There’s only one thing longer than the list of Margaret Court’s tennis achievements: it’s her list of offensive and homophobic statements.
“Just a few examples. During the apartheid regime in South Africa, she said: ‘I love South Africa. They have the racial situation better organised than anyone else.’ What?!
“About transgender children and LGBTIQ: ‘It’s all the work of the devil – tennis is full of lesbians. it is sad for children to be exposed to homosexuality’.
“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
“Margaret Court is actually a ventriloquist using the bible as a dummy to say whatever she wants.”
He condemned Tennis Australia’s justification for honouring the anniversary of Court’s win – ‘We will recognise what she did in 1970, but we won’t celebrate the person’ – saying: “Well, it doesn’t work that way. You can’t separate the person from the achievements.”
Serena Williams’ current record sits just one Grand Slam behind Court, and McEnroe begged her to get two more Grand Slams this year, “so we can leave Margaret Court and her offensive views in the past, where they both belong.”
His fellow tennis star Martina Navratilova has also been vocal in her objection to Court’s ‘homophobia’.
She said on Monday: “It’s just unfortunate because I think what Margaret Court doesn’t realise is how many people she hurts with her rhetoric. She can believe whatever she wants but she’s actually hurting people and that’s not OK.”
