Portal:Tennis/Selected biography/11 2007
Margaret Court AO MBE (born 16 July 1942) is a retired former World No. 1 tennis player from Australia, who in 1970, became the first woman in the open era to win all four Grand Slam singles titles in the same calendar year. Court won a record 24 Grand Slam singles titles, more than any other player – male or female – in tennis. She won a record 62 Grand Slam titles – 24 singles, 19 women's doubles, and 19 mixed doubles, again, more than any other player – male or female – in tennis. Many consider her the greatest female tennis player. The International Tennis Hall of Fame states, "There has never been a tennis player to match (her)."
Born as Margaret Smith in Albury New South Wales, Court began playing tennis when she was eight years old and was 17 when she won the first of seven consecutive singles titles at the Australian Championships in 1960. Court is one of only three players to have achieved a career "boxed set" of Grand Slam titles, winning every possible Grand Slam title – singles, same-sex doubles and mixed doubles – at all four Grand Slam events. The others are Doris Hart and Martina Navrátilová. Court, however, is the only person to have won all 12 Grand Slam events at least twice.