{"id":35323,"date":"2025-04-20T10:11:09","date_gmt":"2025-04-20T10:11:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/35323\/"},"modified":"2025-04-20T10:11:09","modified_gmt":"2025-04-20T10:11:09","slug":"why-martina-navratilova-won-two-grand-slams-in-1987-and-still-described-her-season-as-a-disappointment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/35323\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Martina Navratilova won two Grand Slams in 1987 and still described her season as a \u2018disappointment\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Martina Navratilova dominated at Grand Slam events during the 1970s and 1980s, winning 18 Major singles titles.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Czech-American WTA<\/a> legend produced her best tennis at the sport\u2019s four biggest tournaments, completing two Career Grand Slams in singles.<\/p>\n

Navratilova won her first Major title at Wimbledon<\/a> in 1978, 12 years before her final Grand Slam triumph at the same venue.<\/p>\n

\"PhotoPhoto by Georges De Keerle\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

On six occasions, Navratilova<\/a> won multiple Grand Slams in a single year (1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987).<\/p>\n

Back in 2009, Navratilova explained why she considered 1987 to have been a \u2018disappointment\u2019 despite picking up two Majors.<\/p>\n

Martina Navratilova said she was \u2018disappointed\u2019 with her 1987 season as she was used to winning more<\/p>\n

Speaking to the Tennis Channel 16 years ago, Navratilova reflected on the beginning of her 1987 WTA Tour campaign.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI was winning everything in \u201886, but I was starting to feel it a little bit and \u201887 comes and I cannot win a tournament,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI get to the French Open<\/a>, I get to the final, I lost to Steffi [Graf] again, I was a couple of points from winning the match, but couldn\u2019t close the deal.<\/p>\n

\u201cI get to Eastbourne, I\u2019m playing Helena Sukova, I\u2019m up 5-0 on grass, I lose the set, end up losing the match again in the finals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Having failed to win a tournament all year, Navratilova returned to SW19, where she was the five-time defending champion.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow I\u2019m heading into Wimbledon, I haven\u2019t won a tournament all year,\u201d said Navratilova.<\/p>\n

\"PhotoPhoto by Paul Gilham\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

\u201cI ended up winning the tournament, I beat Steffi in the final, I got to the US Open<\/a>, won the US Open, so I won two Grand Slams.\u201d<\/p>\n

Two Grand Slams weren\u2019t enough for Navratilova to consider 1987 a successful year, however.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor anybody else [it] would\u2019ve been a great year, but for me, I said, \u2018If \u201887 was a fish, I\u2019d throw it back in\u2019,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201c[I was] Disappointed with my year compared to what the years had been before, but I still won Wimbledon and the US Open in the same year, great year, right?<\/p>\n

\"PhotoPhoto by Derek Hudson\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, not for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

The former world number one had a realization at the end of 1987 that her time at the top was coming to an end.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs it turns out, that was the last time I won the US Open, \u201887, and I only won Wimbledon one more time after that, but I did not know that, of course,\u201d said Navratilova.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt this point, I\u2019m realizing that the end of my career is a lot closer than the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martina Navratilova only won one more Grand Slam title after 1987<\/p>\n

In the seven years between 1981-1987, Navratilova picked up 15 Grand Slams, but added just one more to her tally in the next seven years.<\/p>\n

Competing in six Major finals, Navratilova lost five times, as she began to struggle against the next generation of WTA stars.<\/p>\n\nTournament<\/strong><\/td>\nFinal opponent<\/strong><\/td>\nResult<\/strong><\/td>\nScore<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n1988 Wimbledon <\/td>\nSteffi Graf<\/td>\nLoss<\/td>\n7-5, 2-6, 1-6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n1989 Wimbledon<\/td>\nSteffi Graf<\/td>\nLoss<\/td>\n2-6, 7-6, 1-6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n1989 US Open<\/td>\nSteffi Graf<\/td>\nLoss<\/td>\n6-3, 5-7, 1-6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n1990 Wimbledon<\/td>\nZina Garrison<\/td>\nWin<\/td>\n6-4, 6-1<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n1991 US Open<\/td>\nMonica Seles<\/td>\nLoss<\/td>\n6-7, 1-6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n\n1994 Wimbledon<\/td>\nConchita Martinez<\/td>\nLoss<\/td>\n4-6, 6-3, 3-6<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Martina Navratilova\u2019s record in Grand Slam finals post-1987<\/p>\n

Navratilova\u2019s rival, Graf, ended her run of Wimbledon titles in 1988, beating her in three sets to clinch her first title on the grass.<\/p>\n

Graf beat Navratilova once more at Wimbledon a year later, before taking her down at Flushing Meadows, as she took control of their rivalry.<\/p>\n

Returning to winning ways, Navratilova beat Zina Garrison<\/a> at Wimbledon in 1990, securing her 18th and final singles Major title.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Defeats to Monica Seles and Conchita Martinez followed, as Navratilova ended her career with an 18-14 record in singles Grand Slam finals.<\/p>\n

Navratilova\u2019s Major journey still had some way to go, however, in doubles, where she picked up six more titles.<\/p>\n