Navratilova and McEnroe walked from the court holding a banner with rainbow-coloured writing that said: "Evonne Goolagong Arena" - a reference to their wish for the arena to be named after Australia's champion Indigenous player.On Monday night, Court was presented with a full-size replica of the Australian Open trophy on court at Rod Laver Arena ahead of the blockbuster Nick Kyrgios-Rafael Nadal match as she posed for pictures in front of photographers.
Navratilova and McEnroe, who at different times have criticised Court for her controversial views, have taken fresh swipes at the Australian tennis great. In a video published for EuroSport, McEnroe said Tennis Australia faced a dilemma with what do with their "crazy aunt" while Navratilova wrote a column onLoading
"We embrace diversity, inclusion and the right for people to have a view, as well as their right to voice that view," the statement read.
What Navratilova and Mecenroe did was very childish, they had no right to do that in this country. I hope they have borh gone home. Bloody troublemakers.
Who R these two to attack our great MargaretCourt who has lived an exemplanary life, and is one of the greatest tennis players in history. STOP bullying and if anything happens to the naming let the law suits begin and bankrupt Tennis Australia and these two smart arse bullies.
We support Margaret Court 👍
I stand with Margaret Court 💪
Two absolute champions. One hateful Christian.
mCENROE AND mARTINA ARE BOTH STUCK ON STUPID, AND DON'T HAVE ENOUGH SENSE TO COME IN OUT OF THE RAIN. margaret court is 100% correct in what she has to say about queers!
Can’t we just paint the lines black as a compromise ?
Disgusting.
Why wasn't the Margaret Court presentation shown live on television?
I always wished an umpire had got down from their chair when McEnroe was having one of his unsportsPERSON like 'tactical' tantrums and punched him in the head!
AustralianOpen should have revoked McEnroe’s media accreditation immediately for his flagrant breach of the terms and conditions he signed up for when his media pass was issued. If AusOpen2020 didn’t, they are condoning this outrage.
we are the new south africa 250 years overdue i say
Did they give Evonne a quiz to make sure she hold no unpopular opinions?
Disgusting hate from these two SJWs. Just had to inject their degenerate views into a sporting event. They both should be banned from tennis for life.
McEnroe was awarded a commentators job despite years of utterly appalling on court behaviour. He was abusive, unsportsmanlike and had a go at umpires and lines officials. What gives him the right to lecture us about acceptable behaviour? Did Court ever behave so badly? No.
wish tennisaustralia would keep that same admonishment energy when margaret court is disrespectful
An appalling stunt, particularly by McEnroe who has a history of aggressive disrespectful behaviour to others. Court has a right to her opinions just as we all do. It has nothing to do with her tennis. Shall we subject everyone to a political correctness test at their workplace?
Who do these two foreigners think they are. They couldn't compare to Margaret Court. McEnroe is still best remembered for his rude and childish behaviour.
How about we go change every single thing named after someone bc their veiws didn't match up w/ the new religious...fanatical left.
Who would've thought two Americans have more sense and guts than the old white bastion of Tennis Australia? goolagong goolagongarena AusOpen
Send these 2 to Manus Island
The 'free speech' warriors at it again lol 😂 Oh 'free speech is not hate speech' but we get to define what that is (which is anything outside our programming) 🤡🌎🤡🌎🤡🌎
The 'tolerant' left showing us all once again how 'tolerant' they are of other people's beliefs. 😂 Noise noise noise, no one normal takes you serious, especially when the corrupt media is on your side.
How about maybe closing the gap before trading on the name of the indigenous among fellow elites as 'brand benevolence'?
When are you people going to print TRUTH instead of BS
Good on them. Margaret Court is allowed her opinion, and they're certainly allowed thiers.
Gold medal virtue signalling from two has beens.
hughriminton So McEnroe and Navratilova think that Court and the FIVE MILLION other Australians who share her views should condemn themselves in shame? Neither of them are welcome here again.
dimbiddy I agree with McEnroe and Martina!
What business do these people have in naming a stadium here? Regardless how u feel about what she said...this is a complete joke she is an Aussie icon ..
Where in the Bible MargaretCourt does it sayLGBTI equality is comparable to Hitler and communism, because they try to 'get the minds of the children'; - people can change their sexuality or gender through Christ;
We Australians are so cowed by home grown right wing ideology that it took two foreigners to point out this glaring contradiction.
Are we Australians so ideologically cowed by the right that it took two foreigners to point this glaring contradiction out?
As stated previously.....My vote is Tena Arena Arena.
You gave Margaret Court her little ceremony after she threw a tantrum. I would now very much like you to give these two greats a right of reply TennisAustralia
Goolagong would be a great choice for the name change 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
2 old people just need to get back home
McEnroe. A cocaine taking, steroid using bully. A brat. What a role model.
Maybe John should spend more time learning how to interview and less time making lame signs?
Sandra_Sully FI....
It should be the Tina Arena Arena.
Sounds good to me.
Margaret Court is a racist p.o.s Tennis Australia are pathetic
Interesting that Navratilova has no problem with the past sexual assault allegation against Bryant.
I am appalled by Court’s views, and my heart says yes to McEnroe’s and Navritova’s statement and call. - but...an observation ...a lot of streets, & other places, are named after people who were not good exemplars of acceptance and inclusion. We may have a lot of renaming to do.
Interesting, most support the name change in this thread. The few targeting the older players views. And a few supporting the bigoted Court. Good to see the lack of support for bigotry. Well done
So sad it takes non Australians to point out the obvious.....We are a backward country with an inferiority complex about our home grown bigots ....and yes I am an Aussie whose ancestors date back to the first invaders
Sandra_Sully Go Yvonne woooo whooo👏🇦🇺👐🎾🎾🎾
hughriminton Yet Tennis Australia is still ok with choosing to be represented by a homophobic racist...
ItsBouquet Rename it now!!!
Ha it’s funny that because Court says shit about a certain minority group, that we should rename it after a person from another minority group!!! SO WOKE!!!
ItsBouquet Martina and John - thank you. You did what many people wish they had the opportunity to do. It means everything to see people take a stand ♥️
Margaret already has a 'Court' in her name. She doesn't need two.
Like those two give a good glittered goddamn about being 'admonished', lol..... Good on them. I love this.
hughriminton Good on them.
Margaret has more Grand Slam titles despite her personal views. 🎾
TennisAustralia how long is the bigotry going to last with MargaretCourt- you need to stand up and be counted . Change the name !
AnthonyCole68 Great work from Macca and Martina!
I’m not defending Margaret Court one bit but the hypocrisy of John McEnroe is outrageous. Saying you can’t separate the person from their achievements and then fawning over Kobe Bryant. Both great at their sport. One is an awful bigot and the other raped someone.
Well done Mac and Martina, great idea.
The issue is now secondary, these 2 attention seeking has beens saw an opportunity to grab some lime light through a bit of populist bullying, boring.
Isnt Margaret Court entitled to her opinions and beliefs? Oh only if they are the same beliefs as yours. This is typical of this generation. Think like us or else we will hound you!!! You are all bullies!!! Margeret Court is the greatest womens player so show some respect!!!
Where’s the tolerance.
I'd bet Margaret Court never said an uncivil word to an opponent, official, journalist or ball-girl. It shows what we have come to when a rude, self-centred, spoilt brat knob like McEnroe feels he can demand her name be removed from an Aust. sports facility. R U serious!
Good on them
A loud mouth brat & an Uber fit dyke. What a great combination for criticism.
Yes! Evonne persevered in spite of bigots like Margaret Court. Same for LGBT players. Nothing should be named after Court other than her driver's license.
I know what John Mecca’s response would be — GFYTennisAustralia Martina’s too would be GFYMargaret
It’s time to change the name. Evonne is absolutely worthy of her own court.
Martina and JMac 👍👍
Interesting to see the comments here from free speech warriors.
So not cool, the idiots!
Does anyone see the irony that MargaretCourt uses a literal interpretation of the Bible to say that homosexuality is a sin yet she is a female pastor, which is clearly forbidden in the Bible?! Hypocrisy, I do say.
We don’t need them back in australia
Keep politics out of sport
Why not make a buck? Coca-Cola Arena? Bunnings Arena?
There is a whole Abbot and Costello ( “who is on first “:not the pollies ) sketch in having a Tennis Court called the Court Court
Two dinosaurs that have no idea other than to try and tap into the latest 'trends' to stay relevant
Agree with Mac & Martina
These two should be deported
Onya Mac and Martina! Martina
Sooooo, Bob Hawke betrayed his wife and run off with another woman making a mockery of marriage and had various other bad personal beliefs but do we disown his political achievements because of said beliefs!?!? There are other ppl like that too hypocrisy auspol labor
How about we stop all this adult bullying. Margaret Court is a tennis legend. Find another tennis arena and put Evonne Goolagong's name on that.
I agree!!
Love it
It is an embarrassment to have Margaret Court’s name on a public arena. Just another way Australia shames itself.
How good! Interesting to see the comments here, though, where people are saying Court is entitled to her opinion but don’t seem to share that view when these two voice theirs 🤷🏼♀️🧐
Oh ok. It was that Tennis Australia called out the disrepctful behaviour by 2 guests to our country that caused the controversy? Not their childish stunt? Many Australians either agree with MC or believe she has the right to say whatever she wants.
I agree with McEnroe and Navratilova!
I've got an idea let's go to the polls and let the Australian public vote for naming rights.
Well i propose McEnroe be removed from all association with tennis, due to his disgracefully immature and unsportsmanlike behaviour during his career. Go Margaret you champion - don't let these clowns drag you into their petty squabbles
AnthonyCole68 Where on their sign does it say renaming Margaret Court Arena? You might want to put 'OPINION ' as the header for the story.
Disgraceful esp the Rat!
Time for him to go Channel9, can not have people not inclusive of opinion, thought and belief on Australian TV.
Too bad guys. This is Australia. I'm so sick of foreigners sticking their noses into our business here. I really don't care who you were.
John, I think you better go back to when you were a player attacking coke machines, screaming abuse & swearing at the tennis umpires. That type of behaviour then was actually more sane than this. Tolerance & diversity must be practised; there's always another viewpoint - ALWAYS.
Inspiring! Margaret Court, like anyone is entitled to her opinions/views but there are consequences. Unfortunately she has caused a lot of harm and damaged her own reputation/achievements because of this.
It won't happen. Australia is a very conservative place.
Admonished? What a low act these 2 have turned out to be. They should be booted out of Melbourne Park Tennis centre, no if's no but's. TA have been gutless throughout.
Like the bushfires & climate change politics & reporting we find the international community exposing all our biases and social, political &cultural issues. Beginning to feel like we are being dragged into the 21st century by external forces. It is damning that it has got to this
This has been the BEST thing that has happened today.
It was fine as the Tennis Centre but of the two, i'd vote for Goolagong!
Well done those two
Well if you want to politicise your views others have a their rights to politicise theirs.....remember tennis when everyone wore white and no one bitched ( except McEnroe)..tbh I think I prefer it now
Now these two are real champions
Two cretins.
Go home _JohnMcEnroe & Martina your not welcome in OUR country
Its an idea who's time has come
Yeah - step too far - pretty sure AO, TA and Channel 9 were trying to downplay it - and Mac, at least, is a commentator. I guess, I always like to stand on the high moral ground, so if I am disapproving of MC, I don't want to do anything to draw fire.
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