Australian tennis great Margaret Court says her admiration for Serena Williams is not reciprocated after the American retired just one major short of equalling her all-time record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles.
Williams was widely hailed as the greatest player ever after she bowed out of the sport following defeat to Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round of the US Open on Friday.
But the 40-year-old ends her career with 23 majors, one behind Court, who holds the overall record for men and women.
“Serena, I’ve admired her as a player,” Court told Britain’s Daily Telegraph in a rare interview. “But I don’t think she has ever admired me.”
The 80-year-old, who works as a church pastor in Perth, has become a divisive figure in tennis over her remarks on race and homosexuality, including opposition to gay marriage.
Court feels she is under-appreciated in the sport despite her stellar record throughout the 1960s and early 1970s.