She Might Be a Court, but Some Readers Say She Should Not Judge

At tennis matches, I’ve seen a lot of tennis, but I’ve never seen a performance of sex. Unlike Margaret Court, I wasn’t afraid to take my niece to see Martina (Navratilova) and Chris (Evert) play tennis, that her sexual identity would in any way be influenced.

Admiring an athlete for his or her talent, determination and hard work makes sense. Expecting their personal lives to fit some unrealistic model is nonsense. Athletes’ marriages, relationships, liaisons and divorces provide gossip and sell news, but they do not predict integrity, intelligence, personality or compassion.

Margaret Court was a great tennis player, but her religious prejudices against Martina’s sex life are not admirable. Clearly, the quality of Court’s tennis did not determine the quality of her character.

VICKI BARTMESS

Venice