First Look: Profile of Tennis Legend Margaret Court (Click to Watch)
REAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL returns TUESDAY, JAN. 30 (10:00 p.m. ET/PT) on HBO
*The Believer. Tennis legend Margaret Court is the most decorated tennis player – male or female – in history, with 24 Grand Slam Singles titles and 64 total Grand Slam titles, including Doubles and Mixed Doubles. Court is celebrated each January when her home country hosts the Australian Open, where she won 11 titles and has been honored with a showcase court bearing her name. But her second act as a pastor and leader of a sizable congregation has incited a furor among some fans, advocates, players and pundits, due to her outspoken opposition to same-sex marriage and comments on LGBTQ+ issues.
REAL SPORTS correspondent Mary Carillo traveled Down Under prior to this year’s Australian Open and spoke with Court, 75, about the controversy over the call for her name to be removed from Margaret Court Arena, among other topics. Also interviewed are fellow International Tennis Hall of Famers Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King.