The seven biggest rivalries in women's tennis, part 1: Margaret Court vs Billie Jean King
We look back at the big duels in tennis. Part 1 for women is not just about what is happening on the pitch.
by Florian Goosmann
last edit:
Mar 23, 2020, 10:29 pm
Everyone is talking about Margaret Court these days - but only partly because of her sporting success. These are phenomenal: 24 Grand Slam titles in singles (including the Grand Slam in 1970), 19 in doubles and 21 in mixed. Makes 64 victories in Grand Slam tournaments in total - a unique record.
The 24 individual victories stand out, also because Serena Williams wants to break this official record, currently she has 23 major victories. However, Court's record is not taken completely seriously: "Only" 11 of their 24 individual majors come from the "Open Era" when, in addition to the professional players, amateurs were finally allowed to participate in the Grand Slams. She also made 11 victories in her home game at the Australian Open, which many professionals left out until the 1990s due to the long journey and the unfavorable date (often around Christmas). Court won a total of 192 tournaments, 92 of them in the Open Era. In spite of the impressive numbers, the now 77-year-old is not considered a "GOAT" in specialist circles.
But: Court, also called "The Arm" because of her breadth, was the most dominant player of the 1960s and played a very athletic game at the time, she was one of the first to work with weights.
And actually, the Australian Open should have been in their sign this year, on the 50th anniversary of their Grand Slam. Court, however, has made many enemies over time with homophobic utterances that she has long been carrying out as a pastor of her own church. The big topic therefore still remains: a possible renaming of the Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne.
King, Court, Riggs and the "Battle of the Sexes"
Billie Jean King, however, is considered a saint in tennis. The American was one of the leading forces behind the emergence of the WTA Tour, athletically she won 12 Grand Slam tournaments in singles (as well as the Career Grand Slam), 16 in doubles and 11 in mixed.
King, now 76 years old, fought and fights for equality on the tour and outside, and she rehabilitated Court athletically. Court had lost the first "Battle of the Sexes" in 1973 against the then 55-year-old ex-professional Bobby Riggs 2: 6, 1: 6 - King won against Riggs four months later in front of 30,492 viewers and 90 million TV viewers 6: 4, 6: 3, 6: 3. "I thought it would set us back 50 years if I didn't win," she said afterwards.
Court and King dueled themselves 32 times (22:10 for Court), 10 of them in a Grand Slam tournament (6: 4 for Court). In major finals the two met 3 times (2: 1 for Court).
The facts
| Margaret Court | Billie Jean King | |
| Born | July 16, 1942 | November 22, 1943 |
| Individual titles | 192 (including 24 Grand Slam titles) | 129 (including 12 Grand Slam titles) |
| H2H | 22 | 10th |
The encounters in grand slam finals
| year | competition | Winner | Result |
| 1968 | Australian Open | Billie Jean King | 6: 1, 6: 2 |
| 1969 | Australian Open | Margaret Court | 6: 4, 6: 1 |
| 1970 | Wimbledon | Margaret Court | 14:12, 11: 9 |