Martina Navratilova
There is no arguing that Martina Navratilova is one of the best tennis players the sport has ever seen. Even though she'll turn 50 in October, Navratilova remains a strong competitive player in the doubles circuit, winning Grand Slam titles as recently as 2003.
But Navratilova first turned up on the tennis scene back in 1973 as a slightly chubby 16-year-old. She was a powerhouse with unharnessed potential and came up with her first singles title later that year. Determined to move up that ranks, Navratilova took on an extreme regime of fitness and conditioning that has become a hallmark to her game. A left-handed server-and-volleyer, Navratilova raised the women's game to new levels with her power and aggression.
Winning her first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 1978 and taking the No. 1 ranking that year, Navratilova went on to win Wimbledon a record 9 more times. In the next few years, she would become women's tennis' most dominant player. During her astonishing 1983 season, Navratilova's loss at the French Open was her only defeat, ending that year with an 86-1 record. Her winning percentage that year is still the best ever for a professional tennis player.
During 1982, 1983, and 1984, Navratilova lost a total of only six singles matches. But the winning streaks couldn't last forever and Navratilova claimed her last singles Grand Slam Title in 1990, the same year she was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
But that wasn't the end for Martina. Since the early 80's, Navratilova has had an immensely successful doubles and mixed doubles career, one that has led her to No. 1 rankings and even more titles.
Her turn at this year's U.S. Open that will mark her last time playing on the court in doubles and mixed doubles. This year, Navratilova plans to retire for good, but not before hashing it out on the mixed doubles court one more time.
Thursday, she and partner Bob Bryan took an easy win -- 6-3, 6-4 -- from Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Frantisek Cermak. As she has always done, Navratilova refuses to go down without a fight ... and we wouldn't expect any less from her, especially in her parting appearance.
ABOUT MARTINA
Birthdate: October 18, 1956
Birthplace: Prague, Czech Republic
Residence: Aspen, Colorado
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 145 lbs.
Plays: Left-Handed
Turned Pro: 1975
Current Doubles Rank: 19
RESUME
Matches Won: 1430
Singles Titles: 170
Doubles Titles: 132
Prize Money: $21,528,012
2005 DOUBLES HIGHLIGHTS
Semifinals: Wimbledon, U.S. Open
Quarterfinals: Australian Open
(courtesy of the USTA)
