Margaret Court is boycotting the Australian Open because shes a homophobe
The Australian Open draw came out today and I can’t stop war-gaming the bottom half of the men’s side. The women’s side is a mess too – perhaps a glorious mess where Maria Sharapova could lose in the second round (insert sad clown noise). Of course, it’s also possible that Venus Williams could lose in the first round because she’s up against Belinda Bencic. Juan Martin del Potro could conceivably need to go through… Tomas Berdych, David Goffin, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic… and then play Rafael Nadal in the final. So yes, my mind is going to be elsewhere for the next two weeks. If I write posts that begin and end with “Angelina did something, here are photos, blah,” you’ll know it’s because I’m yelling at tennis players on the TV. Here are the men’s and women’s draws:
Australian Open women's draw pic.twitter.com/LfvMtM9HNB
— Ricky Dimon (@Dimonator) January 11, 2018
Australian Open men's draw pic.twitter.com/9hU2iMHn6A
— Ricky Dimon (@Dimonator) January 11, 2018
I mean… how many times is Del Potro going to play Roger Federer in the quarterfinals of a Slam?? DelPo was the only person to beat Federer in a Slam last year. So… yeah… I’m going to be yelling at the TV.
Guess who else will be yelling at the television because she won’t be there in person? Australian Hall-of-Famer Margaret Court, whose homophobia, racism and bigotry has been well-documented for years. Court has one of the large arenas named after her at the Australian Open, and there’s been a movement for the past year to rename Margaret Court Arena because of Court’s politics and general hatefulness. It still hasn’t been renamed. But now Court – who always attends the Open – says she will boycott this year’s tournament.
Tennis great Margaret Court has turned her back this year’s Australian Open to go crabbing following the controversy her gay marriage comments incited. Australia’s greatest female tennis player has also issued a warning to any players thinking of boycotting playing on the court named after her at Melbourne’s tennis centre.
“I think that is petty if they do that and it says what’s in their heart,” she said. “I think that’s very childish — but that’s not up to me and it doesn’t affect me.”
Despite being smashed globally over her gay marriage comments, Court remains defiant and said gay marriage is a trend and Australia “will pay” for its decision to allow same-sex couples to wed. There were calls last year to rename Margaret Court Arena after she caused outrage with comments she would boycott Qantas as a protest against the airline’s support for same-sex marriage. Politicians, other sporting greats, actors and even the arena operator slammed the Christian pastor over her stance.
But she was unmoved describing those who attacked her opinion as bullies. Court yesterday denied she was avoiding the Australian Open after the controversy and Tennis Australia not backing her comments.
“I don’t run from things, I face them,” she said. “I decided not to come across this year and do more crabbing.”
Court said she had a holiday house which she rarely got to use and January was the perfect time to head there, where she would watch tennis on TV. Court said she did not hate gay people and was angered how she was made out to be homophobic, who no longer deserved credit for her tennis career.
“In many ways they bought my tennis into it and I was speaking from a biblical side,” she said. “Bringing my tennis into it and what I did in my life … they should be ashamed.”
“I don’t run from things, I face them,” she says as she announces that she’s running far away from the controversy she started by being such a homophobic a–hole. I mean, I’m sure Mother and Mother’s Husband agree with Court. But most players have no desire to play on a court named after such a notorious homophobe and bigot. Anyway, at least this year’s women’s singles winner won’t have to see Court’s sour bitchface when receiving the trophy.
Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images
Photos courtesy of Getty.
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