Facing Margaret Court

I found seventeen people who either played, practiced with or saw 64-time Grand Slam title winner Margaret Court compete on a tennis court…

For more info about Margaret Court’s legendary pro tennis career, read the Biofile interview I did with her earlier this year.

Richard Gonon: I grew up in Forest Hills in the 1960s, and as a kid I went to the US Open at the Westside Tennis Club from 1967 into the 1970s. As such, I saw Margaret compete in singles, doubles and mixed doubles. Clearly, she was bigger, stronger and faster than every other female world class player. That would be a major factor in her achieving the Grand Slam in 1970 as well as having a 22-10 record against fellow tennis legend Billie Jean King. It should be noted that at that time mixed doubles was a factor in the professional tennis world, and she and her partner, American Marty Riessen were the best in the world, having gotten the better of Billie Jean and Owen Davidson, and Franky Durr and Dennis Ralston, for example. Margaret Court was a fabulous all around player!

Margaret had some great matches against Billie Jean – in singles, doubles and mixed doubles. Back in the day I always thought of them as the “BIG 2”, and expanded to the “BIG 4” with the coming of age of Evert and Goolagong. That 1970 Wimbledon final in which Margaret prevailed over Billie Jean in two very long, hard-fought sets is a Wimbledon Final for the ages.

Janet Newberry: I played Margaret Court two or three times. We played at Virginia Slims in Richmond indoors on clay which was unique. I always liked clay. Another memory is I was warming up to play Margaret in Forest Hills and on the court next to me practicing was Billie Jean King. She came over and tried to help me with my forehand. I think I lost to Margaret 75 64. The Tour was different then. Margaret and Barry Court had a son Danny. And Francois Durr had an airedale terrier named Topspin. Durr’s dog would sometimes carry a racquet out on court for her. But that was it, nobody had coaches or trainers, the Tour was very simple back then. I remember seeing Margaret Court practicing her serve in Newport by herself. She’d serve balls on one end then go to the other end and serve from that side.

Court was a great player. Conservative, we know her values. Like the opposite of King. The matches with Bobby Riggs showed the difference. Riggs first played Court and beat her in La Jolla, Court couldn’t handle all the hoopla. King thrived in it when they played in the Houston Astrodome.

Court was difficult to play because she was big and strong, extremely fit, she had great reach and she didn’t miss.

I also played Margaret at Merion Cricket Club in Philadelphia. I played great and I lost 2 and 2.

(Newberry was once no. 17 in the world and reached the semis of Roland Garros in 1975 and 1977 and the finals of Wimbledon mixed doubles in 1973 with Raul Ramirez.)

Chrissie Evert: When I was fifteen I was invited to an eight player invitational in Charlotte, NC after the US Championships. Margaret Court had just won the Grand Slam at Forest Hills, she won all four majors that year. The biggest thrill was going up there without my parents. before that I always traveled with my parents. I went with my friend Laurie Fleming. She was really good, she was all about tennis like me. She was asked to play as a junior wildcard and she lost to Virginia Wade but it was close like 64 64. I beat Francoise Durr like 60 61. I remember she said at the press conference after, she said her grandmother could have beaten her. That was lovely.

So then I played Margaret Court in the semifinal and I won 76 76. That was when tiebreakers were to five. At 4-4, she serve and volleyed and I passed her. It was on clay so I had that little bit of extra time to line up my passing shots. Clay was my best surface. Back then three of the four Grand Slams were played on grass. Back then on grass most of the men and women serve and volleyed on grass. She won four Grand Slams that year. I think her year was done, she was tired, she wasn’t at her best, it was after US Open. I remember Stan Smith coming up to me and talking on the plane home. It was the start of my career.

Vlasta Kodesova (Vopickova): I beat Margeret Court in Munich in 1965 or 1966, 7-5 8-6. But I have more memories from two years before when I was 4-1 up in the third set in Pörtschach but lost the match and couldn’t sleep after that. Before the match in Munich, a Yugoslovian player Jovanovic approached Margaret Court before our match in Munich and told Margeret, “You were struggling against her two years ago…” And I think that this comment might have influenced Margaret.

In 1970 she lost in round of 16 in Wimbledon to Margaret 6-3 6-3. That was the year she won the final against Billie Jean King 14-12 11-9.

Question: Was Margaret Court as intimidating as she looked? What tactics worked against her?

Vlasta Kodesova: Margaret stepped in on everything – but she got passed all the time.

Rayni Fox-Borinsky: Back in the late 1970’s I was asked to go to Singapore and another country, which escapes me right now, with Margaret, Alan Stone and, I believe, Ray Ruffels, to play a series of exhibitions and give clinics. It was one of my most memorable experiences in tennis. She was gracious, kind and hard working as we played on cow dung and other less than perfect tennis venues. I am going to try and find any memorabilia I might have kept from those wonderful two weeks and if I do I’d be happy to share with you. Margaret was, at the time, a special mentor to me and I don’t enjoy, but understand, her recent bad press. We are all “the sum of many parts.”

Michael McGee: I was a ball boy back in the 1970’s at the Newport Casino-The International Tennis Hall of Fame. I remember watching Margaret Court and Billie Jean King playing live in the finals of the Virginia Slims of Newport, RI back in 1972. Margaret Court won 6-4, 6-1. She collected $3,400. I worked on Center Court for that match. Margaret Court utilized her powerful serve and volley game masterfully to defeat Billie Jean King. Both Margaret Court and Billie Jean King would “chip and charge” their way up to the net for the majority of this match. I was only nine-years-old that summer and I remember it like it was yesterday! Margaret Court was actually seeded 6th going into that tournament. She had just returned back to the tennis circuit after having a baby. Back in the day, Newport hosted this tournament, which was played on grass, as a “warm up” tournament one week before the US Open. Back then the US Open was played at Forest Hills, NY on grass as well. I remember working there, right on Center Court for some of the best players in the world. Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Rosie Casals, Leslie Hunt, Julie Heldman, Kerry Melville, Judy Dalton, Francois Durr, Betty Stove, Janet Newberry, Jeannie Evert, and Pam Teeguarden, just to mention a few.

Gene Mayer: Yes, sure I know Margaret Court. Though she was a bit before my time, we did have some crossover. A few memories I have of her…

Great player that served and volleyed a ton.

Dominant on grass.

Very thoughtful on and off the court.

Well spoken.

Very sincere and deeply committed.

Deep thinker that brought an intellectual side to the sport.

Bill Deacon: At Kooyong in 1956, Nell Hopman and I beat Margaret and Harry Hopman in a “ friendly” mixed doubles.

Virginia Ruzici: Yes I did play Margaret Court. One or two times at the beginning of my career… and lost. I do not remember the first time…if there was one [smiles]. The second match though was in Chicago indoors on fast carpet, I was up 5-2 in the third and started to get terrible cramps. I lost 7-5.
She was into her thirties, about 35ish then, but still very fit and a solid game in all aspects. Complete, serve and volley, but also capable to stay back into rallies. It was a great experience and joy to play such a huge champion even if I lost.

Martina Navratilova: When I was sixteen I beat Nancy Richey on clay 63 63 at the French Open. She was the second toughest clay player right behind Chris Evert. That was the biggest win of my career, so far. I was thrilled enough to beat a great player like that and I was thrilled again afterward when Margaret Court – the woman player I have patterned myself after the most – walked into the locker room. I had never realized Margaret Court was so tall and she was barefoot while I had on clogs with high heels. I tried not to gawk but she said Hello and I realized she knew who I was. I had beaten Nancy and she was acknowledging me. Margaret Court really awed me. Because I admired her so much when I was young. I only played her a few times at the end of her career, when she didn’t serve that hard. But she was still a wonder. Even when I beat her in the Australian Open at Kooyong in 1975, by a score of 64 63, I’d still stand on the other side of the net and watch these bombs rocketing in on first serve. She was so tall and formidable that I’d find myself staring at her – and wondering what she had been like a few years earlier. Margaret Court amazed me with her size and strength.

(From the book “Martina” by Martina Navratilova with George Vecsey.)

Johan Kriek: I never met her. I admire her as a Christian. She has her beliefs and it is her’s. So be it….

Ronnie Teo: When I was in London in the early 1970s I watched her play. One of her great rivals was Billie Jean King. It was a treat to be able to watch her match with Billie Jean King live. The game went on for hours as, at the time, there was no tie system. I have always considered her as the best female player of all time. She was equally good in the doubles and mixed doubles. She retired for a while to have her baby but came back to win more Grand Slam titles. She has perfect physique as an athlete.

Gary Mark: My father played mixed with her, but it was a bit before 1964. Bob Mark was his name, he also played men’s doubles with Rod Laver.

Russell Watts: I was there that day Margaret played Bobby Riggs, at a small club north of San Diego – Ramona. It was a seriously bad performance by her. Having watched her play over the years this was seriously shocking. I’m guessing she was extremely nervous and could not even keep the ball in play for more than a couple of shots .. so many errors when little pressure. Just could not get the ball over the net. I remember thinking at the time my mother, who was a very good club player, would have done better as Margaret Court was so bad that day. Having said all that, I had also seen Bobby play a lot in San Diego and was still a very good and smart player and his match against Billie Jean King looked not quite right to me but… Anyway all very interesting.

Mark Schaeffer: I saw her play a few times in the early 1970’s in Phoenix. I recall her playing a local player named Stephanie Tolleson, who was a junior at the time, and I think the score was 62 76, a close second set. Tolleson was a sweetheart and had a respectable career, then became a great agent for IMG (managing Monica Seles and Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario). I also have a recollection of watching Billie Jean King beat Court in Phoenix in the early 1970’s, maybe 1972 in the final.

Charlie Owens: Yes, I played mixed doubles in World Team Tennis in 1974 against her. She was a great player. No other comments except that she was a very warm person.

Michel Loutchaninoff: I worked a few of her matches as a ballboy back in the early-mid 70s. She was super nice and classy – treated staff and tournament folks nice – I cannot say that about many others. I was ballboy at US Open and some early Virginia Slims events in Houston. We commuted between Paris, New York City and Houston for about fifteen years. My mother’s family owned a tennis court installation/product called “Tennis Quick” in France and built them across Europe and French territories. So we went to Roland Garros every year as I grew up – our apartment in Paris was a ten-minute walk to Roland Garros. In New York we lived in Forest Hills and Howard Beach and I was lucky enough to learn tennis from Vitas’s dad and at Port Washington in the mid 70s. I did a few of Margaret Court’s matches and we would run into her in both the USA and Europe.

Elliot Reibman: Margaret Court holds the most Grand Slams ever. She was the very best of the best. Margaret Court is a good woman, never scared to face hate head on. I admire Margaret Court for her beliefs on and off court. I watched every match of Margaret Court. A very impressive woman.

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