Court, Margaret Smith, 1942–, Australian tennis player. Playing tennis from age eight, she rose to prominence in the early 1960s. Ranked first in world standings six times beginning in 1962, she retired in 1966, but returned to the game in 1968, and in 1970 became the second woman (Maureen Connolly was the first) to win the grand slam. In 1973 she lost a nationally televised match to Bobby Riggs Riggs, Bobby (Robert Larimore Riggs), 1918–95, U.S. tennis player, b. Los Angeles. Playing tennis from the age of 11, Riggs won several tournaments in the 1930s and helped the U.S. team win the Davis Cup in 1938.
..... Click the link for more information. , setting the stage for Riggs's match with Billie Jean King King, Billie Jean, 1943–, American tennis player, b. Long Beach, Calif., as Billie Jean Moffitt. She began playing tennis at age 11 and enjoyed success from age 15 when she won the Southern California championship in her age group.
..... Click the link for more information. , which gave women's tennis greater prominence. She won her fifth U.S. Open championship that year.

Court, Margaret Smith

orig. Margaret Smith

(born July 16, 1942, Albury, N.S.W., Austl.) Australian tennis player. She dominated women's tennis in the 1960s, winning 66 grand-slam championships in her career, more than any other person. In 1970 she became the second woman (after Maureen Connolly) to win the grand-slam (the Wimbledon, U.S., Australian, and French singles titles). In 1963, with fellow Australian Kenneth Fletcher, she became the only player to achieve the grand-slam in doubles as well as singles.