“It’s a Tricky One” – Roger Federer Opens up on Margaret Court Situation

Published 01/18/2020, 10:30 AM EST

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The game of tennis is slowly threatening to turn into a political affair. However, players like Roger Federer and Naomi Osaka are trying to avoid taking sides on the matter. To that end, tennis legend, Margaret Court holds strong views on the subject of same-sex marriage and transgenders.

In response, Tennis Australia were hesitant to celebrate the 50-year anniversary of Court’s calendar Grand Slam. Instead, the organisation chose to recognise her achievement for the Australian Open 2020 event.

Federer was asked to comment on Court’s achievement only getting recognition instead of a celebration. The Swiss tennis ace chose the diplomatic route to answer the question.

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Admittedly, Margaret Court has caught a lot of flak for her views on same-sex marriage and transgender people. In a world where more and more people are speaking up, some are still trying to stay politically correct.

It is also noteworthy that Roger Federer was increasingly uncomfortable about his stance on the situation. Normally, the former World number 1 is quite verbose about the game’s broader issues and a well-known tennis history buff.

via Imago

What did Roger Federer say on the matter?

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He told the media, “Yeah, I mean, it’s a tricky one. I don’t know what to tell you. She’s obviously an incredible tennis champion, one of the most successful ever. I know this subject also tears apart a lot of opinions and minds.”

“So I think Tennis Australia, they got to do what they got to do. I honestly really have no opinion on that.”

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Given the increasing political nature of the world, Roger Federer really dodged a bullet. In a similar vein, Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka also dodged the question, but echoed Federer’s sentments.

With regard to his road to the Australian Open 2020 final, the first stepping stone is Steven Johnson in the first round.

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Written by:

Dhruv George

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Dhruv George is a senior Formula One and NASCAR analyst for EssentiallySports, having authored nearly 12000 articles spanning different sports like F1, NASCAR, Tennis, NFL, and eSports. He graduated with a PG Diploma in Journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications. Dhruv has also conducted interviews with F1 driver Pierre Gasly and Moto2 rider Tony Arbolino.
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