Margaret Court: The controversial Queen of the Australian Open

In the modern era, tennis fans will consider Serena Williams the greatest women's tennis player ever, but before her, there was Australian Margaret Court.

The Australian tennis wizard dominated the sport in the 1960s and 70s when Australian tennis was ahead of most other countries.

It was a time when Australia had the perfect weather and facilities, and everyone was able to access the sport at a time when class systems were a problem in other places.

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Even at a time when Australian tennis players were on top, no one would have thought the country would have produced a female champion like Margaret Court.

From her late teens to her mid-30s, through multiple retirements and the birth of her children, Court acquired a trophy cabinet like no other, winning a staggering 24 Grand Slam titles.

Despite all of her success, the tournament she dominated the most was the Australian Open, winning the competition a record eleven times!

After winning her first Australian Open at 17 in 1960, Court went on an astonishing run, securing seven Australian Opens in a row, proving her worth as the queen of tennis.

Remarkably, at the Australian Open, Court had a record of 60 wins and three losses, failing to make the final in two of the 14 times she played.

In her eleven victories at the Australian Grand Slam, Court beat her fair share of elite players, securing final victories against Billie Jean King, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Kerry Melville Reid, and Maria Bueno.

Court was the strongest player in the world in the 1970s, but her strong faith and beliefs caused a storm among fans and the media, with Kooyong Tennis Club removing her picture frame from the 'Gallery of World Stars.'

According to theguardian.com, Court said: "I believe implicitly in what the Bible tells me, I do not cherry pick to be popular. God has made his feelings clear, and they are my feelings, too."

Court caused controversy in 1970, praising South Africa for its Apartheid policy, saying: "South Africans have this thing better organized than any other country, particularly America."

In 1990, Court expressed her feelings that 'Lesbians were ruining tennis' when Martina Navratilova was dominating the sport.

Court said: "A great player, but I'd like someone at the top who the younger players can look up to. It's very sad for children to be exposed to homosexuality."

Court had disagreements and battles with Billie Jean King on and off the court, having a debate about feminism and debates about abortion.

For her on-court displays, Court deserved to have the Melbourne Park Center Court named after her, but due to her controversial stance on a number of sensitive issues, they named it after Rod Laver.