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Topic Pages contain an overview, definitions, biographies, related topics, images, plus links to relevant articles and other content provided by your library. Topic Page: Navratilova, Martina, 1956-

Summary Article: Navratilova, Martina from The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide

Czech tennis player who became a naturalized US citizen in 1981. The most outstanding woman player of the 1980s, she won 59 Grand Slam victories, including 18 singles titles. She won the Wimbledon singles title a record nine times, including six in succession 1982–87.

Career highlights

Wimbledon singles: 1978–79, 1982–87, 1990; doubles: 1976, 1979, 1981–84, 1986; mixed: 1985, 1993, 1995, 2003

US Open singles: 1983–84, 1986–87; doubles: 1977–78, 1980, 1983–87, 1989–90; mixed: 1985, 1987

French Open singles: 1982, 1984; doubles: 1975, 1982, 1984–88; mixed: 1974, 1985

Australian Open singles: 1981, 1983, 1985; doubles: 1980, 1982–85, 1987–89; mixed: 2003

ITF world champion 1979, 1982–86

Fed Cup (with former Czechoslovakia) 1975; (with USA) 1982, 1986, 1989

Tournament wins 341

Navratilova won her first Wimbledon title in 1976 (doubles with Chris Evert). Her total of 58 Grand Slam titles was second only to Margaret Court, who won 62. Her first Grand Slam win was mixed doubles at the 1974 French Championship (with Ivan Molina, Colombia). By winning the Australian Open mixed doubles title with Leander Paes in 2003, Navratilova completed a sweep of all 12 Grand Slam titles, and, at the age of 46, also became the oldest player ever to win a major tournament. She also won the Wimbledon mixed doubles title in 2003, her last Grand Slam triumph, which brought her level with Billie Jean King's record of 20 Wimbledon titles.

She became a tennis coach in 1997, and made her debut as captain of the defending champion US Fed Cup team.

After reaching the semi-finals of the US Open in 1975, Navratilova stayed in the USA and announced her intention to defect; a month later she was issued a green card and became a US citizen in 1981.

images

Navratilova, Martina

© RM, 2016. All rights reserved.
"Navratilova, Martina." In The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide, edited by Helicon. Helicon, 2016. https://search.credoreference.com/content/topic/navratilova_martina_1956
Navratilova, Martina. (2016). In Helicon (Ed.), The Hutchinson unabridged encyclopedia with atlas and weather guide. [Online]. Abington: Helicon. Available from: https://search.credoreference.com/content/topic/navratilova_martina_1956 [Accessed 26 April 2018].
"Navratilova, Martina." The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide, edited by Helicon, 1st edition, 2016. Credo Reference, https://search.credoreference.com/content/topic/navratilova_martina_1956. Accessed 26 Apr. 2018.

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