Margaret Smith Court

It was Court's husband who sparked her interest in returning to tennis. She wanted to show him her life in tennis around the world. Court began training hard and returned to the circuit in 1968. Though it took a while for her to regain her form, Court was not as nervous as she had been in the first part of her career. She did not win a singles title until 1969, when she won the Australian, U.S., and French Opens, but lost Wimbledon in the finals to Ann Jones.

The best year of Court's career came in 1970, when she won the women's singles titles in all four Grand Slam events and eighteen of twenty-five tournaments she entered. She was only the second woman ever to win the women's singles Grand Slam. The hardest victory was Wimbledon, where she again faced King in the finals. Court injured her ankle in her quarterfinal match against Helga Niessen, and suffered through the semifinals to make the finals. The final match lasted a record forty-six games and 148 minutes with Court winning 14-12, 11-9. Court was not the only one in pain; King had cramps too. Observers later believed that this was one of the best matches played by two women ever. Nerves became an issue at the last tournament in the slam, the U.S. Open. She defeated Rosemary Casals, 6-2, 2-6, 6-1.

Though Court remained dedicated to her tennis career. She missed parts of the 1971 and 1972 season because she had a baby, but returned in late 1972 to win the mixed doubles championship at the U.S. Open. While she won both women's singles and doubles championships at the Australian, French, and U.S. Opens in 1973, that year she made what she considered a big mistake in her career.