Smith, Margaret (Mrs. Court)
Tennis
b. July 16, 1942, Albury, Australia
Although she never seems to be given full credit for the accomplishment, Smith won 26 major singles championships, more than any other woman in history, and she's one of only three women to win all four grand slam events in a year (the others are Maureen Connolly and Steffi Graf).
A solid, hard-hitting but unspectacular player, the 5-foot-9 Smith won the Australian national title from 1960 through 1966, the French title in 1962 and 1964, the U. S. title in 1962 and 1965, and Wimbledon in 1963 and 1965. She retired from competition after marrying Barry Court.
Court persuaded her to return to competition and became her manager in 1968. Under the name Margaret Smith Court, she won the Australian and French championship in 1969, then swept all four major titles in 1970. Her 46-game victory over Billie Jean King that year was the longest women's singles final in Wimbledon history.
After becoming pregnant late in 1971, Smith Court again left competition, returning in 1973. Traveling with an entourage that included her husband, children Danny and Marika, and a nanny, she won three of the four grand slam events, the Australian, French, and U. S. championships that year. However, her best known 1973 match was the Mother's Day defeat by 55-year-old Bobby Riggs, who lost later that year to Billie Jean King.
She retired permanently after winning the 1973 Virginia Slims Trophy and leading all women players with $180,058 in winnings.
In addition to her singles championships, Smith Court won 21 women's doubles titles and 19 mixed doubles titles in grand slam tournaments.