Martina Navratilova enjoyed a legendary tennis career, winning a record 167 singles titles as a professional.
Few players are more worthy of legendary status than Navratilova, who dominated tennis for several decades.
Navratilova won her first Major title at Wimbledon in 1978, winning her last 12 years later at the same venue.
Jul 1990: Martina Navratilova of the USA holds up the winners” plate after winning the Wimbledon Championships played at Wimbledon, London, England. Mandatory Credit: Allsport UK /Allsport
Her longevity was perhaps even more impressive in doubles and mixed doubles, winning her first and last titles 32 years apart.
Such brilliance fairly saw Navratilova considered by many to be the greatest WTA player of all time, although some suggested Germany’s Steffi Graf deserved the nod.
Back in 2009, Navratilova had her say, as she revealed who she considered to be the best to ever play the game of tennis.
Martina Navratilova said it ‘would be hard to say no’ when asked if she was the greatest of all time in 2009
Speaking to the Tennis Channel 16 years ago, Navratilova gave her honest opinion on who the greatest women’s tennis player of all time was.
“Am I the greatest player that ever played the game?” she asked.
“It would be hard to say no.
“I feel like at my best I was better than anybody else that I played against because my game was more complete, I prepared better than anybody, I knew what to do, and I had the ability to do it, I was as fast as anybody, as strong as anybody and I had more shots, and I was a better athlete than everybody.
“Overall, the body of work speaks for itself, the records, a lot of them happened because I played for a long time, but the quality as well as the quantity, the combination.
“The Grand Slams, yes, Steffi Graf won more Grand Slams, but in my day, the Grand Slams were not as important.”
Photo by Bongarts/Getty Images
Navratilova then shared her thoughts on how different eras compare in tennis.
“People ask me now could you beat Serena Williams? It’s all so subjective,” she said.
“Of course, the players are hitting the ball harder than we did, but then we didn’t have the rackets that they have.
Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
“I can do more with the ball now than I could 20 years ago because of the rackets, I’m not as strong as I was 20 years ago but I can do more with the ball because the rackets enable you to do that.
“So it’s hard to compare players from different eras.”
The 68-year-old was happy to be considered the greatest of all time, agreeing with another WTA great.
“You know, Steffi Graf says I was the greatest to ever play the game, so who am I to argue, right?” said Navratilova.
Comparing Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf’s career achievements
Graf is one of just two women who have won more Grand Slam singles titles (Open Era) than Navratilova.
- 23 – Serena Williams
- 22 – Steffi Graf
- 18 – Martina Navratilova
- 18 – Chris Evert
The German star dominated the sport for years and outperformed the American in several categories.
Photo by Mark Sandten/Bongarts/Getty Images
Comparing Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf’s career achievements (singles)
Graf and Navratilova played one another 18 times in total during their tennis careers, with the head-to-head finishing at 9-9.
It was Navratilova who edged the Grand Slam head-to-head, winning five of their nine matches at the sport’s four biggest tournaments.
Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf’s Grand Slam head-to-head record
Navratilova beat Graf in their final-ever meeting at a Major tournament in the semi-finals of the 1991 US Open, battling past the number one seed in a three-set thriller.
The match is still regarded as one of the greatest tennis matches of all time, as the pair performed at their very best in New York.
Navratilova and Graf’s rivalry remains one of tennis’ most iconic, regardless of who is considered the better player.