RG17 Highs and lows: #14, Margaret Court stirs controversy

Some stars passed on playing in the French Open, while others weren't allowed in. You know all their names. What matters is what took place inside and outside the lines in Paris. On the heels of a fairly predictable and alternately off-the-chain major event, here are the thoroughly vetted, unequivocal–or entirely subjective–best and worst moments from the 2017 French Open.

See No. 15 here.

14

The 74-year-old Aussie tennis legend Margaret Court might be one of the most indefatigable persons on the planet. In recent weeks, she has doubled down on rather dusty, disheartening comments about same-sex marriage and homosexuality in general.

This fairly widely panned lack of inclusivity garnered Court the attention she desired. As with her playing days, this is a person who quite enjoys a fight. She got a willing, highly capable combatant in the ever-political Martina Navratilova, herself a lesbian and a passionate LGBT- and human-rights activist.

Navratilova now regards Court, who she says she had previously forgiven for decades-old statements in the 1990s, as a tennis titan as well as a "racist" and a "homophobe." Navratilova's fellow commentator and legend John McEnroe also excoriated Court's remarks. Women's rights pioneer Billie Jean King said Court's words are hurtful, and prefers to believe in love, not hate.

Derision over the past month from players seemed to largely do with Court's reputation in the tennis establishment. Chiefly catalyzing this were 1) Court's letter to Qantas boycotting the airline for supporting same sex marriage, 2) a newspaper letter Court wrote about Casey Dellacqua:

And 3) the revelation that she approved of yesteryear's apartheid positions taken by the South African government, as noted in a book about Arthur Ashe.

Court can have her opinions, and she's welcome to them. But that doesn't mean the rest of us can't break down barriers.

Follow Jon on Twitter @jonscott9.