‘After having the first baby, I won 3 Slams and Serena hasn’t won one’: Tennis icon hits out after Williams retirement

Australia tennis legend Margaret Court came down heavily on Serena Williams, who recently drew curtains on her illustrious career. The Australian, who has won 24-time Grand Slam titles, claimed that she is not given the recognition she deserves, also mentioning Williams to be one among them.

“Serena, I’ve admired her as a player. But I don’t think she has ever admired me” Court, now 80, told Britain’s Daily Telegraph in an interview. Serena closed the journey with 23 Grand Slam title, one short of the Australian, which she won between 1960-73.

“Serena has played seven years more than I did,” Court added. “I finished in my early 30s. People forget that I took two years out. I first retired … when I was 25, thinking I would never return to tennis.

“I got married, had a baby, but then had one of my best years, winning 24 out of 25 tournaments.”

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Court during the interview also informed her critics that she held a better record than Williams post they became mothers and moved on with their career.

“I came back after two babies,” she said. “After having the first baby, I won three out of the four slams. And Serena hasn’t won a slam since” she had a baby.

Court also hit out at suggestions that her 11 Australian Open singles titles had less value than Williams’s seven.

“I often hear Billie Jean (King) saying that people didn’t come down to Australia in my early years,” she said.

“But Maria Bueno, the world number one, came down. So did Christine Truman, Ann Haydon, Darlene Hard. Plus, Australia had some wonderful players. We had five girls in the top 10. Lesley Bowrey won two French Opens.”

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Court said she was disappointed that Williams made little mention of Australian Ajla Tomljanovic after the final match of her career.

“I thought it was bad that Williams didn’t mention her opponent more when she spoke,” she says. “We were taught to honour our opponent. We respected one another.”

Court said she lost no sleep over the snubs from the tennis world but did find it sad.

“A lot of the press and television today, particularly in tennis, don’t want to mention my name,” she said.

“The honour has not been there for what I did do. In my own nation, I have been given titles, but they would still rather not mention me.”

-with Reuters inputs