Won 62 Grand Slam titles, including all four majors in 1970.
In the 1960s and early '70s, women's tennis was an all-Court game. Tall, agile and overpowering, Margaret Smith Court dominated her sport as few others have. Between 1960 and 1973, Court won a ridiculous 62 Grand Slam titles, including the Australian Open singles crown seven straight times. "With her athleticism and training, Margaret took the game to another level," says Billie Jean King, who nicknamed her the Arm because of her reachWeaned on grass, she was a nifty serve-and-volleyer. She also had the penetrating strokes -- and, yes, court sense -- to win on slower surfaces. In 1970, a year when her singles record was 104-6, she won the Grand Slam (all four majors in one calendar year), for which she earned only $14,800. The same feat today is worth roughly $2.5 million. No matter. Court played for love, not money. In '77 she retired to Australia, where she is a minister who tours for a nondenominational church. Though far removed from the public eye, her legacy endures as one of the great champions.
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