PARIS (AFP) - Australia's Samantha Stosur branded compatriot Margaret Court as "crazy" on Wednesday (May 31) after the Grand Slam legend claimed "tennis is full of lesbians" and transgender children were the work of "the devil".
Stosur said all players were united in their condemnation of the 74-year-old as pressure mounted for the Margaret Court Arena at the Australian Open in Melbourne to be renamed.
"I think that's all pretty crazy stuff," said Stosur, the 33-year-old Australian number one and 2011 US Open champion.
"It's pretty obvious that the whole tennis community out here has pretty much the same opinion and we're going to all stand by that."
Stosur, however, insisted she was not leading calls for a boycott of the flagship arena at Melbourne which carries the name of the 24-time Grand Slam title winner.
"I'm going to head down to the Australian Open when it rolls around next year, and we'll get on whatever court we have to play on," said Stosur.
Court has vowed to keep airing her views and didn't hold back on Vision Christian Radio station on Wednesday.
"Tennis is full of lesbians, because even when I was playing there was only a couple there, but those couple that led took young ones into parties and things," she said.
"And you know, what you get at the top is often what you'll get right through that sport."
Asked about transgender children, she claimed their minds had been corrupted.
'HITLER, COMMUNISM'
"That's all the devil... but that's what Hitler did and that's what communism did - got the mind of the children. And there's a whole plot in our nation, and in the nations of the world to get the minds of the children."
Court's controversial outbursts have been widely condemned by players at the ongoing French Open.
Stosur's fellow Australian Casey Dellacqua hit out at Court for her "hurtful" views on same-sex relationships.
Gay 32-year-old Dellacqua, who has two children with partner Amanda Judd, said Court was wrong to claim that her children "have been deprived of a father" and that such youngsters are not "given the best possible start in life".
Dellacqua recently tweeted: "Enough is enough Margaret" after Court said she would refuse to fly with national carrier Qantas in protest at the company's support of same-sex marriage.
"At the time I was really hurt because I actually know Margaret personally," said Dellacqua on Wednesday.
"Everyone is allowed their opinion, but when you start singling out my family especially, that's when it's not okay.
"And my family do not deserve to be subject to that. She can have her opinion but my family does not deserve that. That's when I thought, it's my time to speak up."
Dellacqua insists she has the "100 per cent support of Tennis Australia" in her criticism of Court.
However, she refused to call for a boycott of one of the Margaret Court Arena.
"I personally feel when I'm playing in Melbourne that I have a huge amount of support from the fans," she said.
"So whatever court I do play on, I know that I'll be well supported. The Australian Open is a long time away...but yeah, I just prefer probably not to go into any of that."
Defending French Open champion Garbine Muguruza was blunt in her assessment of Court. "Quite honestly, I really don't give a damn what she says," said the Spaniard.
Men's world number one Andy Murray said he wanted to see the controversy resolved before the Australian Open starts to avoid a scheduling nightmare.
"For players to be in a position where you're in a slam and kind of boycotting playing on the court, I think would potentially cause a lot of issues," said Murray.
"So I think if something was going to be happening and the players come to an agreement, if they think the name should be changed or whatever, that should be decided before the event starts."
