The arena's name has also been a sticking point for various bands and performers who have been scheduled there over the years, outside of the tennis season. Tennis Australia and many leading figures in Australian politics, including former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, have publicly defended the arena's name, saying it reflects Court's tennis abilities, rather than her personal views. 'It's very sad for children to be exposed to homosexuality.' 'She's a great player but I'd like someone at the top who the younger players can look up to,' Court said at the time. The Navratilova-Court feud stems all the way back to 1990, when Court infamously decried the American's influence on young people. 'But I would still have tried and made my statement, which is basically you name buildings after not what people just did on the court but also off the court, the whole body of work.” After finishing their match, the pair held up a banner saying 'Evonne Goolagong Arena'.Įvonne Goolagong-Cawley - who won doubles Grand Slam titles with Court - took over Court's mantle as the greatest female tennis player following Court's retirement, winning seven Grand Slams throughout the 1970s.ĭue to the contrivance of Tennis Australia's rules, Navratilova then apologised on the Tennis Channel. It prompted tennis icons Navratilova and McEnroe, playing in a legends doubles tournament, to protest without Tennis Australia's knowledge.

Australian open arena names