US former tennis player Martina Navratilova waves as she is presented in the Royal Box on Centre Court at The All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 6, 2019, on the sixth day of the 2019 Wimbledon Championships tennis tournament
Navratilova led calls for the Margaret Court Arena to be renamed (Picture: AFP via Getty)

Margaret Court and John McEnroe teamed up in a call for the Margaret Court Arena to be renamed, only to be scolded by Australian Open organisers for ‘breaching protocol’.

The tennis legends unfurled a banner demanding that the second show court at Melbourne Park is instead named after Evonne Goolagong.

But their efforts to raise awareness on the issue have not gone down well with Tennis Australia chiefs, who first cut off a television feed when Navratilova addressed fans from the umpires’ chair before criticising her and McEnroe for their actions.

Former Australian tennis player Margaret Court poses with a replica of the trophy to commemorate 50 years of her Australian grand slam win before the start of men's singles match between Spain's Rafael Nadal and Australia's Nick Kyrgios on day eight of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 27, 2020.
Court has come under fire for her views (Picture: AFP via Getty)

‘We embrace diversity, inclusion and the right for people to have a view, as well as their right to voice that view,’ said a spokesperson.

‘But the Australian Open has regulations and protocols with respect to how any fan, player or guest can use our facility, the event and the global stage it provides. This is to ensure the integrity of our event.

‘Two high-profile guests have breached these protocols and we are working through this with them.’

Navratilova’s speech begun with her saying, ‘I’ve been speaking out about an issue for a while now and John McEnroe is here to join me and push the conversation forward…’. The transmisison was then cut off.

Court has been honoured by the Australian Open at the 2020 tournament in what’s the 50th anniversary of her winning the Calendar Grand Slam.

She has won more major titles than any player – man or woman – in history but has courted controversy since hanging up her racquet.

Switzerland's Roger Federer (L) speaks with former US tennis player John McEnroe after his victory against Hungary's Marton Fucsovics during their men's singles match on day seven of the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 26, 2020.
McEnroe teamed up with Navratilova (Picture: AFP via Getty Images)

Now a church pastor, Court has been heavily criticised for what Navratilova has previously described as her ‘sick’ views on a host of topics.

McEnroe has already made headlines this tournament regarding Court, as he called for Serena Williams – who sits just one Slam title behind the Aussie – to wipe her and her ‘offensive views’ from the history books.

McEnroe told Eurosport: ‘The air quality in Melbourne is not the only nightmare. Margaret Court is another one.

‘There’s only one thing longer than the list of Margaret Court’s tennis achievements: it’s her list of offensive and homophobic statements.

‘Just a few examples. During the apartheid regime in South Africa, she said: “I love South Africa. They have the racial situation better organized than anyone else”. What?

‘About transgender children and LGBTIQ: “It’s all the work of the devil… tennis is full of lesbians… it is sad for children to be exposed to homosexuality”.

‘Serena, do me a favour: get two more Grand Slams this year and get to 25, so we can leave Margaret Court and her offensive views in the past, where they both belong.’