Australian tennis legend returns serve to Folau critics

‘‘My heart goes out to him because he’s being persecuted.’’

Beleaguered Wallabies star Israel Folau is being persecuted over his stand on Christian issues, Australian tennis legend Margaret Court says.

Court, 76, Australia’s most successful tennis player, is a Christian minister, who like Folau has been outspoken in her opposition to same-sex marriage.

She has lent her support to Folau, who faces a Rugby Australia code of conduct hearing for posting anti-gay messages on social media.

Folau faces a big battle in trying to overturn Rugby Australia’s intention to terminate his contract.

It was unfair Folau was being ‘‘persecuted’’ for standing up for his religious beliefs, she told The Australian.

‘‘I understand why Israel is doing this. You want everybody to know Christ and under it all there is a great love for your nation and you want people to know what you have received,’’ she said.

‘‘What he is saying about repenting is straight out of the Bible. My heart goes out to him Margaret Court, left, on Israel Folau, right

because he’s being persecuted.

‘‘He just wants people to come to Christ. That’s where I believe people haven’t really read his heart,’’ she said to The Australian.

Court, who won 24 grand slam singles titles playing in the 1960s

and 70s, has similarly created a firestorm in Australia, opposing same-sex marriage, claiming homosexuality and being transgender was the work of the ‘‘devil’’.

Last year, she supported Folau when he sent similar messages. She

also created a furore in 2017 when she said she would avoid flying on Qantas because of the airlines’s support for same-sex marriage. She

later lamented that tennis was ‘‘full of lesbians’’.

Fellow tennis great Martina Navratilova called Court a

‘‘homophobe’’ and Court’s playing contemporary, Billie Jean King, called for Melbourne’s Margaret Court Arena to be renamed. About 100 same-sex marriage campaigners clashed with police outside a Liberal Party fundraiser in central Melbourne that year to protest against Court, who was invited to give a speech at the function.

Her latest comments are in direct contrast to those of Folau’s longstanding Wallabies team-mate Will Genia, who said Folau was being selfish and his homophobic views were completely wrong.

Wallabies coach Michael Cheika had earlier indicated that Folau’s comments ruled him out of inclusion in Australia’s Rugby World Cup squad.

But Cheika was in turn criticised by former Wallabies halfback Nick Farr-Jones – a former lawyer, banker and ‘‘praying’’ Christian – who said the current coach had been too early to take a stance against one of his best players.

‘‘I think Michael Cheika’s been way too premature in relation to all this,’’ Farr-Jones told Macquarie Sports Radio.

‘‘I think Cheika has come out way too early and if I was [RA chief executive Raelene] Castle I’d be calling him in and ask how can you say that?