(CNN Spanish) — Martina Navratilova, women’s tennis legend and winner of 167 titles —including 18 individual Grand Slams—, is a heroine not only in sports, but also in life: she is a cancer survivor and an activist for the rights of the LGBT community. Elizabeth Pérez spoke with her about tennis and diversity, the stars on the courts and her legacy.
Elizabeth Pérez: You are a sports legend who left a huge mark on tennis after your career spanning more than 30 years. How has this trip been so far?
Martina Navratilova: Oh well, I’ve had an amazing journey thanks to tennis. I literally know when I started hitting that little ball — it was a white ball then, it’s yellow now — this is where it would take me. But I’ve had a lot of people supporting me over the years and I’m very grateful and I feel very, very lucky and I’m still here. So that’s also a win. But my tennis career has given me many blessings.
October is a very important month to raise awareness about breast cancer. 12 years ago you received news that nobody wants to hear. You were diagnosed with cancer; an early stage of breast cancer, thank God. But how did you first react to that news and how did you get through that battle?
Well, as athletes, we’re used to being able to rehab our bodies. If you have an injury, you take a break; if you have surgery, you are rehabilitated and ready to go. But with cancer there is no such thing. You are in the hands of the doctors. So when I was diagnosed, my best friend was like, “Oh, it’s positive.” And I’m like, “Oh, that’s good.” And then I realized that positive is not good when it comes to cancer. So I cried maybe 15 or 20 seconds. And then I said, “Okay, what do we do? How can we find the solution? What has to happen? So I was very lucky. I had a lumpectomy and then had 30 days of radiation about two months later. And, you know, I made it out the other side unharmed. But it was a shock to the system. As an athlete you feel when you have an injury. This thing came out of nowhere, actually. And yes, I was devastated. But again, as a tennis player, you get into the solution. So I did and I had a great team of people around me, which was also very helpful.
New York, August 26, 2022 Martina Navratilova at a conference on women’s health care. Navratilova survived breast cancer in 2010. (Photo Sarah Stier/Getty Images for Hologic WTA Tour)
Since that challenge you have become an advocate for early detection in mammography. I see you have the logo on the shirt; you and the WTA went on a mission, right?
We have a mission. You know, I haven’t had a mammogram for four years. I didn’t realize there was going to be so much time between mammograms. So when I realized it had been so long, I thought I really needed to talk about women taking better care of their bodies than I did. And with Hologic, this is the same message they give to women. Please do a review. The team is there, the doctors are there, the care is there. But the sooner you find out something is wrong, the better. That is why I am very happy to be part of this partnership with the WTA and Hologic. And I think it’s a win-win situation because we’re all in the same boat, with women. And the sooner you find out that something is going on with you, with your body, the better.
You retired from professional tennis 16 years ago. However, you are still on the circuit in different roles, and one of them is that of a commentator. What do you think of Serena Williams’ retirement?
Oh, it was kind of expected, but it’s still shocking for the circuit, as Serena has been on the tennis tour for 25 years at her best level of play, at the top of the rankings and dominating. And, well, we knew she was coming. “Father time” catches up with everyone eventually, but it’s still a bit shocking. I think Serena had a great farewell in America. She has not yet said that she is going to retire: she said she will “evolve”. But I think it’s probably this. And New York is pretty much where it started for her. And it’s kind of touching that she ends up there too. She had a great send off and the electricity she brought to the stadium was incredible. And we’ll miss this because every time Serena walks onto the court, it’s an event. And that will never happen again, unfortunately. But I am sure that she will find other ways to make a difference and make this world a better place.
And if missing Serena wasn’t enough, Roger Federer is also retiring. So, what do you think is going to be missing in these two great players on the circuit?
Well, it had to happen sooner or later. I think the tennis world is very happy that it happened much later than probably would have been expected. Normally, tennis players were 30 years old, maybe 35, but then it was over. These guys are in their forties, so I think we were lucky to have them for so long. And now the new generation is stepping in on both the men’s and women’s sides, trying to pick up the pieces. But I think women’s tennis is in good hands, with Iga Swiatek at the top and many players who want to get to the top. And yeah, I think, you know, we can’t replace Roger Federer or Serena Williams, but we can bring in new faces that make us feel better about ourselves and keep us entertained, hopefully for decades to come.
A change of era and mentality
Women’s tennis has changed and within its growth and evolution, players now choose to combine their professional and personal careers. Some have made the decision to be mothers and have temporary retirements, to return to the circuit and be protagonists again. Such is the case of Kim Clijsters, Victoria Azarenka and Serena Williams, to name a few.
Navratilova recognizes Williams as one of those who paved the way to do both at the same time, but factors such as better financial compensation have definitely contributed to the permanence of tennis players for longer on the circuit.
And what about those new faces that we now see on the circuit, do they remind you of when you played?
You know, there’s really no one who plays like me. But if I was born 20 years ago, I wouldn’t play like I did 50 years ago, because times have changed, the equipment has changed. So I would play more like Roger Federer or, you know, with a big serve, forehand and then get close, not serve and volley like before. I still would, but not quite. So really the game has changed quite a bit, but I think the closest thing would have been Ash Barty. And now I think Ons Jabeur plays a more complete game and still looking to get to the net. I’d say it’s more imaginative, but you know, there was really only one Martina (laughing).
And why do you think we don’t see players who have a career as long as yours?
No, I think so. I think you see that Venus and Serena Williams are the perfect example of that. They played longer than me. I retired when I was 38 years old. Then I came back and played doubles. But I think that with the money in tennis, people can take better care of themselves. And, also, above all, with the knowledge we have about how to take care of our body. Better knowledge that can prolong players’ careers; perhaps not that they play as much each year, but that they play longer and with better quality. So I think the attention is there. Mental health, all of that is being addressed much better now than in my day. So I think we’ll see more players playing well into their 30s and maybe some of the players will choose to have babies in their twenties, early thirties, and then come back and play, because for women it was a decision. But now Serena has proven that you can have both. There are many other mothers on the tour that she has done very well. So I think you’ll still see longevity. But the main reason we didn’t see it was there were couples where the attention wasn’t there, the money wasn’t there. And also the women just chose to have babies and then they didn’t come back. But now I think that paved the way for motherhood and still being an athlete. So now I think you’re going to see more and more women playing well into their thirties, maybe into their forties.
The Struggle for Diversity and Acceptance
Navratilova is one of the most recognized elite athletes and activists for the recognition of the LGBTQ community. The former world number one acknowledges that social change has been massive and that more can be done; for her, the term “tolerance” has long since expired and has become “acceptance”.
You were one of the first superstars to come out about your sexuality at a time when it was difficult and you were at the height of your career. What do you think of what we have gained in terms of inclusion and diversity so far?
Ooh, it’s huge. The changes have been massive all over the world in the social aspect. Same-sex marriage, LGBT rights, equal rights. You can’t fire people for being gay anymore. Although in this country, in the United States, you can still do it in most states. As strange as it seems. So we haven’t gotten rid of some of those laws. But in general, acceptance, of course, and visibility, people don’t have to lose their jobs, their livelihood or their fan base if they come out, whether it’s in sports or in other fields. So things have changed a lot for the better. It seems that some steps backwards are being taken in this country, but I hope we stay with that. And LGBT people will be happy. It will not be celebrated, but it will be accepted. I hate to say “tolerance”. People say, “Oh, you have to put up with this.” No, we do not tolerate people, we accept people. And the idea is that it won’t matter which way it is, as long as you’re a good human being and contributing to the workplace or to your family, et cetera…
You retired in 2006 after winning 18 major singles titles and more singles, doubles or match tournaments than any male or female player. What are you most proud of in tennis? Is it the number of titles you had or the length of your career?
You know, there are different things that I have done that make me very happy. I believe that the nine Wimbledon titles will not be broken again. My 74 game win streak, I don’t think it’s going to happen again. But perhaps what I am most proud of was winning 80 times singles and doubles in the same tournament. But since most players don’t even play doubles, I know that record is safe and shows longevity, as well as playing singles and doubles, which I loved. There were only two tournaments where I didn’t play doubles in my entire career because it happened automatically. I love playing doubles, I love being on a team, so maybe that’s the brand I like the most.
Martina Navratilova at the WTA Finals in Guadalajara Mexico. November 17, 2021 (Photo Hector Vivas/Getty Images for WTA)
Martina Navratilova numbers
- 18 Grand Slam singles tournaments, including a record 9 Wimbledon titles.
Australian Open: 1981, 1983, 1985.
Roland Garros: 1982, 1984.
Wimbledon: 1978, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1990.
US Open: 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987. - 31 Grand Slam doubles tournaments.
Australian Open:1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1989.
Roland Garros: 1975, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988.
Wimbledon: 1976, 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986.
US Open: 1977, 1978, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990. - 10 Grand Slam tournaments in mixed doubles.
- 167 total WTA singles titles.
- 177 WTA doubles titles.
