Billie Jean King: I'd never play on Margaret Court Arena

Margaret Court

Billie Jean King believes the name of Margaret Court Arena should be changed and said she would refuse to play on it if she were competing in this year's Australian Open. The row concerning the name of Melbourne Park's third show court has rumbled on since last summer, when 11-time Australian Open champion Court voiced increasingly extreme views as Australia prepared to vote on same-sex marriage.

Billie Jean King

Court, who is now a Pentecostal minister, claimed a gay lobby was trying to get into the minds of children and that transgenderism was the work of the devil. Speaking at a press conference after being named Australian Open Woman of the Year in association with the tournament's new equality initiative Open4All, King said: "If I were playing today I'd never play there. It's important if you're going to have your name on anything that you're hospitablone to have their name on something.

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