Magaret Court, who won 24 majors between 1960 and 1973, has questioned Serena Williams’ legacy for winning fewer grand slams than her, despite playing for seven years longer and in a “much easier era”.

Williams is regarded as the greatest tennis player of all time, and she finished her career with 23 grand slams. She played the last game of her singles career on home turf in US Open, where she lost to Ajla Tomljanović in three sets. In the Open era, none of the tennis players have won more majors than Williams.

But Court feels she would have won more had she played in this era. She said she had to handle everything on her own, and there was no one to accompany her on tours. But now such things are taken care of.

“I would love to have played in this era. I think it’s so much easier,” Court told the Daily Telegraph. “How I would love to have taken family or friends along with me. But I couldn’t. I had to go on my own or with the national team. People don’t see all that.”

However, Court largely played in an amateur era, where she hadn’t had to face the competition as stiff as Williams has faced her entire life. Moreover, 11 out of her 24 grand slams came at the Australian Open, a tournament where no top players used to compete.

Serena has won four consecutive grand slams – famously known as Serena Slams- twice in her illustrious career, and has spent more days than anyone else at number one in the 21st century. Her last major title was the Australian Open, which she won in 2017 in the state of pregnancy.

Court tried to discredit Williams’ achievement by mentioning her own record after she had two babies.”I came back after two babies,” she said. “After having the first baby, I won three out of the four slams Serena hasn’t won a slam since [she gave birth].”

Court has publicly campaigned against same-sex marriage and also supported the apartheid state of South Africa. She made a passing mention of her admiration for Williams, but added she never felt the latter respects her.

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