100 of the Most Influential Women in Sport >> Personalities

Martina Navratilova, USA

Tennis

Martina Navratilova has effectively had two careers. The first saw her become one of tennis’ best ever players, if not the greatest ever – in 2005, Tennis magazine named her the best female player for the years 1965 to 2005. Her second career has seen her take her place as a tireless advocate for gender equality, both in sport and beyond. She’s been outspoken and fierce in the arguments over equal prize money for men and women in tennis, a long-standing fight that rumbles on even as the Grand Slams had all instituted equal prize money for the winners by 2007 – a policy that has yet to be extended to all of the other tennis tournaments. Then, of course, came a more personal fight in 2018, when the gap in pay between her and fellow ex-professional John McEnroe for their punditry for the BBC was revealed. Navratilova has fought cancer. She’s fought stereotypes over her gender. And as she did on the tennis court, she keeps winning.

– Navratilova’s combined 59 singles, doubles, and mixed doubles Grand Slam titles remain a record for the most total titles won by a single player.

– Navratilova has guest-starred in a TV show or movie three times, most recently in 2017 Hong Kong film The Adventurers.

Did you know…

Her parents divorced when she was young. She was raised by her stepfather, Mirek Navratil, and took his last name. He was her first tennis coach.

“Whoever said, ‘It’s not whether you win or lose that counts,’ probably lost.” – Martina Navratilova 

Twitter: @martina

Instagram: martinanavratilova