Friday 12 January 2018 12:09, UK
The Margaret Court Arena should be renamed because of the 24-time Grand Slam winner's comments about the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, says Billie Jean King.
Martina Navratilova previously criticised Court in a scathing open letter, addressed to Margaret Court Arena and published by Australia's Fairfax newspapers, after the 75-year-old claimed the game is "full of lesbians" and that transgender children were the "work of the devil".
King, an advocate and pioneer for equality and diversity in tennis, will attend the season's opening Grand Slam in Melbourne for the first time in eight years - on the 50th anniversary of her sole Australian Open title.
"I was fine until lately when she said so many derogatory things about my community - I'm a gay woman - about the LBGTIQ community," King said at news conference on Friday.
"That really went deep in my heart and soul.
"I personally don't think she should have (her name on the stadium) anymore."
Tournament organisers have named King as the Australian Open Woman of the Year and launched its 'Open4All' initiative to promote equality, diversity and inclusion to coincide with the 12-time major singles winner's visit.
Court, 75, a church pastor, caused a stir in an interview to Vision Christian Radio in May last summer.
