Gay Australian tennis star Casey Dellacqua says she finally voiced her disapproval of Margaret Court's stance against same-sex marriage for the sake of her family.
Dellacqua, who has two young children with former touch football champion Amanda Judd, has received wide ranging support for tweeting "Margaret. Enough is Enough" last week.
The sport's grand slam stars are threatening to boycott Margaret Court Arena at next year's Australian Open, placing huge pressure on Tennis Australia to rename the stadium honoured after the legendary 24-times major singles champion.
Men's world No.1 Andy Murray, a representative of the players' council, on Tuesday said he hoped a decision was made one way or the other before the Melbourne Park major gets underway in order to avoid a "lot of issues".
Dellacqua said she could no longer ignore Court's outspokenness, after her and Judd were also the subject of a letter to the editor from Court in 2013.
While Court said she had nothing against Dellacqua or Judd, she wrote after the birth of the couple's son Blake: "It is with sadness that this baby has seemingly been deprived of his father.
"... For the person who is birthed with no exposure, or even acknowledgement of their natural dad there will always remain questions as to their identity and background."
Dellacqua on Wednesday said it was time to speak up.
"I never come out and say anything. I don't really do interviews or things in regard to that. But I just felt like it was time for me to speak up," the 32-year-old said following a first-round doubles win at the French Open in Paris.
"I will just say back in 2013 that was when she wrote about me, obviously, but it was a really happy time in my life - the birth of my first child, our first child.
"So I did read the article and I left it alone. I thought, you know what, it's not worth responding to.
"But then obviously more and more stuff just keeps coming out and I just thought ... that's why the tweet said enough. Because it is, it's just enough."
Despite being deeply hurt, Dellacqua let Court's letter go and thought, 'I'm not going to let anyone ruin my happiness'." she said.
"I'm very conscious of the fact that 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 and did not deserve that."
Dellacqua said she had received 100 per cent support from TA and refused to weigh into the debate around a potential name change of Margaret Court Arena.
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