The former tennis ace, Margaret Court
The former Australian Tennis ace, Margaret Court was born on 16th July, 1942 in the city of Albury. The retired top ranked tennis sensation registered her name as the first female player during the Open era and the second one in the all time rich sport’s history who succeeded in all four major championships in a single year. The right handed player grabbed a total of twenty four trophies all through her professional life. Apart from her singles titles, Court has won a total of nineteen women’s doubles as well as an exactly the similar number of mixed doubles trophies, with an overall sixty two Grand Slam trophies. According to the statement of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, “For pure strength and achievements, there has never been a female tennis ace like the one”.
The Australian Tennis ace was born to Catherine Smith and Lawrence Smith. Apart from her, the family had three more kids. Court has a sister named June apart from her two elder brothers, Vincent as well as Kevin. The girl was a lefty by birth however she was forced to alter her style.
The 1.75 meters tall Court started playing the game of tennis when she was just eight year old. During her teenage period, the girl won her very first singles trophy at the Australian Tournaments back in 1960.
After the grass court Grand Slam tournament back in 1966, Court announced her retirement from the professional game if tennis on short terms basis. The Australian tennis ace, married Barrymore Court back in 1967. She made a comeback to the game of professional tennis in the season 1969 and grabbed a total of four Grand Slam singles trophies in the season 1970. The next season, Margaret was knocked down in the final of the grass court Grand Slam singles competition by Evonne Goolagong Cawley at the time when she was also pregnant. She gave birth to her first child back in 1972 during the month of March.
During the same season, the Australian tennis ace, contested at the United States Open championship and played the entire remaining season as well. The Australian player gave birth to her second child back in 1974 and once again returned on the courts of tennis in 1975. Court contested in her final major championship in the same year as well.
Margaret is one of the three female tennis contenders to have succeeded in all the major tournaments namely the mixed doubles, doubles as well as the singles events. The other two names are Martina Navratilova as well as Doris Hart. The Australian tennis ace however, stands alone as the only one who has succeeded at least two times in the twelve major champion ships.
Margaret was knocked down in a highly advertised clash by the ex top ranked male tennis ace from the men’s side, Bobby Roggs back in 1973, held in California. She lost the match in spite of the fact that the girl was listed as the top ranked tennis ace from the women’s side and according to the reports, the Australian tennis ace did not fight at her very best, thinking that she would triumph comfortably. However, Roggs knocked her down with a final match score as 6–2, 6–1.
She announced her retirement from the professional game of tennis back in 1977. The Australian tennis ace, Margaret Court was included in the International Tennis Hall of Fame back in 1979.
All through her career, the Australian tennis player has grabbed a total of sixty two major trophies, including twenty four singles, nineteen doubles as well as an exact number of mixed doubles trophies as well, excluding the shared tournaments back in 1965 as well as 1969 at the Australian Open competition.
Being a player who succeeded in most of the major championships held in 1963, 64, 65, 69, 70 as well as1973, Margaret Court is still remembered for her contributions as well as achievements even years after her retirement.
Tags: