Martina Navratilova, Champion Tennis Player | MAKERS Video
Champion Tennis Player
Groundbreakers Sports
In this interview, champion tennis player Martina Navratilova talks about her life in Communist Czechoslovakia, her heartbreaking choice to defect to the United States where she became a target of criticism brought on by her outspoken attitude, and her unstoppable drive to become the best tennis player.
Martina's Biography
Athletic Upbringing:"On the weekends, we would go either for a walk, or a hike, or swim in the river, or even go cross-country skiing in the winter. I rode my bike around town everywhere or I ran to the tennis or to school. I was always running or walking very fast."
Grandma On The Court:Martina's grandmother was a ranked player in Czechoslovakia.
Train, Run, Tram, Run:With no car, getting to tennis practice with no small feat. She had to "run to the train station with my tennis gear and my school gear…get on another train all the way to Prague...then go on a tram…then a bus…then walk, play tennis, and reverse. So I was in great shape just to get to the tennis court."
Domestically Skill or Challenged:"Domestically skilled surprisingly enough."
Martina Navratilova is a tennis legend. Born and raised in Communist Czechoslovakia, she defected to the United States at 18 years old, leaving her family behind in order to pursue her career without the bounds of the government's restrictions on when and where she was allowed to play. Once in the States, Navratilova was faced with the media's negative reaction to her outspoken, confident nature, as well as the complexities of being a gay woman, which meant losing sponsorships.
 
Still, Navratilova dominated. Arguably the best tennis player to ever step on the court, she amassed an unmatched number of professional records over the course of a career that spanned an amazing four decades. She has won 59 Grand Slam crowns, a record 9 Wimbledon singles champions. As she says, "The ball doesn't know how old I am," so even when Navratilova retired in 1994, she continued to play doubles until 2006. She was 50 years old.
 
As one of the first openly gay sports figures, Navratilova has been a vocal advocate for equal rights and a strong supporter of many charities benefitting the LGBT community. She has received numerous awards from many of the most influential organizations within the LGBT community.