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Miracles Do Happen, I got the Margaret Court Biofile
2 Comments · Posted by Scoop Malinowski in Scoop
After a few years of trying, it looked hopeless. I was unable to contact Margaret Court in Australia despite repeated attempts sending notes to her web site and an email I got from a Hall of Fame email list.
Then this summer a lightning bolt of luck struck. I got an instant message from a woman asking for a tennis lesson. This woman is from Australia and contacted me via a Facebook page I set up years ago for our local public tennis center.
In our first lesson, this tennis player revealed a bombshell… that she is distantly related to Margaret Court! And now about six months later, the Margaret Court Biofile has finally been accomplished and it’s a career highlight moment to be able to actually read a Biofile of one of the most accomplished champions in the history of sport, a true champion and inspiration for her bravery and courage both on and off the court.
Court is quite possibly the greatest tennis champion to ever grace a court. From 1960 to 1977, the native of Albury, New South Wales won a total of 64 Grand Slams (24 singles, 19 doubles and 21 mixed). She twice won the Grand Slam box set (singles, doubles mixed) in the same year. Her overall Grand Slam record is 210-23, 90.12%.
Court’s first Grand Slam was in 1960 at age 18, and first prize was a gift so trivial you will be shocked when you read it. By the way, Court lost in the AO juniors draw that same year to Lesley Bowery!
Court’s final pro match was in 1977 at the Virginia Slims Championships, a third round win vs Greer Stevens 57 76 63 (she defaulted the QF to Francoise Durr after learning she was pregnant with her fourth child).
In 2003 the Australian Open renamed show court 1 to Margaret Court Arena, an extremely rare honor for a living player.
Please stay tuned to this site for the Margaret Court Biofile!
Australia · Margaret Court · Tennis Australia
Sam · December 17, 2020 at 7:56 pm
Great, Scoop—hope it’ll be worth the wait!! 🙂
It’s still crazy that you had to wait so long, though.
Scoop Malinowski · December 17, 2020 at 10:22 pm
Sam, thank you, I am reasonably sure you and all readers will enjoy it. Some far away players are just hard to connect with, especially the older legends who may not be up to date with email. Still working on Rod Laver too. We’ve had direct contact by email but no Biofile yet!