Court short over Serena's final flourish
<p dir="ltr">Margaret Court has called out Serena Williams following her retirement after losing against Aussie Alja Tomljanovic.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The US tennis champion’s career came to an end after she lost to Ajla Tomljanovic 7-5 6-7 (4-7) 6-1 in the third round of the US Open.</p>
<p dir="ltr">This means Court will hold onto her grand slam record that Williams has tried besting for a long time.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Despite the win for Court, she didn’t hold back when she called out the US player who she says should have spoken more about her opponent following her loss.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“Serena, I’ve admired her as a player, but I don’t think she has ever admired me,” Court told The Telegraph UK.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“I thought it was bad that Williams didn’t mention her opponent more when she spoke.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“We were taught to be role models for the young, in how we behaved. We were taught to honour our opponent. You learned from your losses. We respected one another.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">In her retirement speech, Williams mentioned Court and slammed those who said she doesn’t deserve to be the GOAT (greatest of all time) because of her loss.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“There are people who say I’m not the GOAT because I didn’t pass Margaret Court’s record of 24 grand slam titles, which she achieved before the ‘open era’ that began in 1968,” Williams said.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want that record. Obviously I do. But day to day, I’m really not thinking about her. If I’m in a grand slam final, then yes, I am thinking about that record. Maybe I thought about it too much, and that didn’t help.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“The way I see it, I should have had 30-plus grand slams.”</p>
<p dir="ltr">Court went on to single out tennis organisers who she claims completely ignored her at Wimbledon, and the lack of invitations for other big tennis events.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“It’s very sad, because a lot of the press and television today, particularly in tennis, don’t want to mention my name,” she said.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“It’s only when they have to, because I still hold so many records. In 2020, I was meant to be coming to Wimbledon for the 50th anniversary of my calendar grand slam.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“But then Covid hit, so the honour never happened. The French Open didn’t invite me, the US Open didn’t invite me. Rod Laver had won the slam and I was going to be honoured in the same way, but no.</p>
<p dir="ltr">“I didn’t lose any sleep over it. But the honour has not been there for what I did do. In my own nation, I have been given titles, but they would still rather not mention me.”</p>
<p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty</em></p>
