Margaret Court is one of tennis' "greatest greats" and the arena named after her should recognise that, not her opposition to gay marriage, the prime minister says.
Court this week announced she will stop using Qantas "where possible" in protest at the airline's promotion of same-sex marriage.
"Whatever people may think about Margaret Court's views about gay marriage... she is one of the all time greats and the Margaret Court Arena celebrates Margaret Court the tennis player," Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told 3AW on Friday.
"She's one of the greatest greats of tennis and that's why the arena is named after her."
Australian player Casey Dellacqua tweeted how fed up she was with Court after her family was targeted for criticism by the tennis great.
"Margaret. Enough is enough," Dellacqua tweeted on Friday, posting a photo of a Court newspaper letter to the editor.
In the letter, 74-year-old Court laments the birth of Dellacqua's child in a same-sex relationship.
"It is with sadness that I see that this baby has seemingly been deprived of a father," Court, a Christian pastor, wrote.
Dellacqua is in France and has progressed to the doubles semi-finals of the WTA event in Strasbourg with compatriot Ashleigh Barty.
Court has been a critic of homosexuality and same-sex marriage for decades.
Retired tennis player Martina Navratilova has called for Melbourne's Margaret Court Arena to be renamed, while Tennis Australia said Court's views on gay rights do not align with the governing body's.
The operators of Melbourne and Olympic Parks used the Margaret Court Arena twitter account on Thursday to say they do not support her stance.
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