McEnroe urges Williams to beat record of 24 majors set by “offensive” Margaret Court

JOHN MCENROE has slammed Margaret Court as a “crazy aunt” and urged Serena Williams to win two more Grand Slams to leave her “in the past.” slammed Court and Tennis Australia’s decision to recognise her achievements.

“The air quality in Melbourne is not the only nightmare that Tennis Australia is having. Margaret Court is another one,” he said on his Commissioner of Tennis Twitter video. “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.’ 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.’

“Serena, do me a favour: get two more Grand Slams this year and get to 25 so we can leave Margaret Court and her offensive views in the past, where they belong.

“Tennis Australia is facing a dilemma – what do they do with their crazy aunt?

“Its solution? We will recognise what she did in 1970 but we won’t celebrate the person. Huh? It doesn’t work that way. You can’t separate the person from her achievements.”

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova echoed McEnroe’s comments.

“It’s just unfortunate because I think what Margaret Court doesn’t realise is how many people she hurts with her rhetoric,” said Navratilova, who won three Australian Open singles titles. “She can believe whatever she wants but she’s actually hurting people and that’s not OK.”