Martina Navratilova

Martina Navratilova (Czech: Martina Navrátilová, née Šubertová) was a Czech-American former professional tennis player. She was ranked world No. 1 in women's singles for 332 weeks, including as the year-end No. 1 seven times, and was world No. 1 in women's doubles for a record 237 weeks. She won 167 top-level singles titles and 177 doubles titles, including an Open Era record 59 major titles.

Navratilova won a record six consecutive singles majors across 1983 and 1984 and claimed the best professional season winning percentage, 98.9% in 1983. She reached the Wimbledon singles final 12 times, including for nine consecutive years from 1982 through 1990. She won her last major title, the mixed doubles crown at the 2006 US Open, shortly before her 50th birthday.

Originally from Czechoslovakia, Navratilova asked the United States for political asylum in 1975 at age 18 and became a US citizen in 1981. On January 9, 2008, she reacquired Czech citizenship, becoming a dual citizen. She has been an activist on gay rights.

Early life and background

Martina Navratilova was born Martina Šubertová in Prague, Czechoslovakia. Her parents divorced when she was three, and her mother moved the family to Řevnice. In 1962, her mother married Miroslav Navrátil, who became her first tennis coach. Martina then took his name, adding the feminine suffix -ová, and became Martina Navrátilová.

She started playing tennis when she was four, hitting a ball against a wall, and began playing regularly at age seven. By 15, she won the Czechoslovakia national tennis championship. She joined the United States Lawn Tennis Association professional tour at 16 but didn’t become a professional until she was 19. She played well on many surfaces, especially clay, and reached the final of the French Open six times. In 1973, she made it to the quarterfinals but lost to Evonne Goolagong. The next year, she also reached the quarterfinals and lost to Helga Masthoff.

Professional tennis career

Martina Navratilova began her professional tennis career in 1974 at the age of 17, winning her first singles title in Orlando, Florida. She soon moved to the United States and began competing in major tournaments. In 1975, she was runner-up in two big tournaments and decided to stay in the U.S. permanently.

Navratilova won her first major singles title at Wimbledon in 1978, defeating Chris Evert in the final. She became world No. 1 that year, a position she held many times throughout her career. She won many titles over the years, including nine at Wimbledon, and was known for her strong play and long career.

She was especially famous for her rivalry with Chris Evert, competing against her in many important matches. Later, she also competed against Steffi Graf, one of the next great players. Navratilova kept playing into her 40s, focusing more on doubles later in her career. She won many doubles titles and became the oldest major champion in tennis history. She retired from full-time competition in 1994 but continued to play occasionally in doubles events.

Playing style and coaches

Martina Navratilova played tennis with an aggressive style, often serving and moving quickly to the net. She worked with coach Renée Richards to improve her tactics.

Throughout her career, she had many coaches, including Miroslav Navrátil, George Parma, Věra Suková, Renée Richards, Mike Estep, and Craig Kardon. One of her rivals said she changed tennis with her athleticism and training, including activities like basketball to stay in shape.

Coaching career

In December 2014, it was announced that Navratilova would help coach Agnieszka Radwańska. But by April 2015, after Radwańska had a tough start to the season, they decided to go their separate ways.

Personal life

Martina Navratilova wrote several books throughout her career. In 1985, she released an autobiography called Martina in the U.S. and Being Myself elsewhere, working with sports columnist George Vecsey. She also wrote a tennis instruction book in 1982 with Mary Carillo, titled Tennis My Way. Later, she wrote three mystery novels with Liz Nickles: The Total Zone (1994), Breaking Point (1996), and Killer Instinct (1997). Her most recent book, Shape Your Self, about health and fitness, came out in 2006. There is also an ESPN documentary about her rivalry with Chris Evert called Unmatched, as well as books that explore their friendship and rivalry.

Navratilova shared her life with several partners. In 2014, she proposed to her long-time girlfriend Julia Lemigova, and they married later that year in New York. She faced some health challenges too. In 2010, she was treated for a condition in her breast and received treatment. She also had a health issue while climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. In 2023, she learned she had a health concern in her throat and another in her breast, but after treatment, she shared that she was well again.

Activism and opinions

Martina Navratilova supports many charities that help animals, children in need, and rights for the LGBTQ+ community. She works with AARP to encourage healthy living and has talked about her choice to be a vegetarian, though she sometimes eats fish for protein.

Navratilova has spoken out strongly against certain political systems and for equal rights. She has been involved in efforts to protect rights for women and has shared her thoughts on many social issues, including discussions about fairness in sports. She believes in speaking up when she sees something wrong, valuing personal freedom and the right to express opinions.

Career statistics

Martina Navratilova reached 32 Grand Slam singles finals, winning 18 of them. One of her biggest achievements was winning the 1983 US Open, which completed her career Grand Slam. This means she won all four major tennis tournaments in her career, a rare and impressive feat.

Performance timelines

(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.

Singles

Doubles

Mixed doubles

Records

These are records from the Open Era of tennis. Records in bold show achievements that no one else has matched.

Awards

Martina Navratilova received many important awards for her tennis achievements. She was named AP Female Athlete of the Year in 1983 and 1984. She also earned the ITF World Champion title from 1979 to 1986 and was named WTA Player of the Year from 1978 to 1986. Her other honors include the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003, the Czech Sport Legend Award in 2006, and being listed among BBC's 100 women in 2013.

Recognition

Martina Navratilova is seen as one of the best female tennis players ever. In 2005, a tennis magazine picked her as the top female player from 1965 to 2005, just ahead of Steffi Graf. Other top players and experts have also praised her skills, calling her one of the greatest players of all time.

Navratilova has received many awards for her work in tennis and beyond. She was honored with a special award from the International Tennis Federation in 2009 and was named one of the "30 Legends of Women's Tennis" by Time magazine in 2011. She was also recognized for her contributions to equality and was made an honorary fellow of Lucy Cavendish College at the University of Cambridge in 2016.

Media

In 1983, Martina Navratilova and Vijay Amritraj appeared in the Hart to Hart episode "Love Game" as themselves. She played a key role, partnering with the main character in a tennis match. In 2000, she appeared on Will & Grace as a special guest.

Navratilova also took part in many other shows and events. In 2008, she was a contestant on the UK’s I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!. In 2012, she joined Dancing with the Stars. She later had a role in the Netflix series The Politician as a horse trainer.

A documentary about her life is being made and will come out in 2025. In 2026, she will appear on a Spanish television show called Mask Singer: Adivina quién canta, hiding under a mask.