The Great Martina Navratilova
Author: Jonathon Hardcastle
Martina Navratilova is widely regarded as the greatest female
tennis player in the history of the game. She captured 18 Grand
Slam singles titles and 40 Grand Slam doubles titles.
She was born in Czechoslovakia on October 18, 1956 and at age
18 defected to the United States in 1975. She was granted US
citizenship in 1981. Her given name was Martna Subertova but
her parents divorced when she was three and her mother
remarried a man named Miroslav Navratil, who would later one
become her very first tennis coach. Martina later on adopted
her stepfather's name and added the feminine suffix "ova."
By the time she was 15, Navratilova was making her mark on the
tennis scene. She won the Czechoslovakian national tennis
championship in 1972 and turned professional the very next year
at age 16. Her first professional singles victory came in 1974
in Orlando, Florida.
She is best known as a strong left-handed serve-and-volleyer
with magnificent volleying skills and an aggressive and
powerful game. Her excellence on the court raised the quality
of the women's game to new heights. Early in her career,
Navratilova was on the overweight side and received some sharp
remarks from the press for it. However, showing her firm
determination, Navratilova soon whipped herself into shape with
a punishing fitness routine that she maintained throughout the
rest of her career. Eventually, a high level of conditioning
soon became a hallmark of her game.
In 1978, she won her first Grand Slam singles tournament at
Wimbledon, defeating Chris Evert in three sets in the
championship. Her victory propelled her to the top of the
women's rankings and she was named the number one female tennis
player in the world for the first time. Evert and Navratilova
would meet again in the Wimbledon finals a year later and
Navratilova would once again prevail.
In 1981, Navratilova bagged her third Grand Slam singles title,
once again by defeating Evert in the finals, this time in the
Australian Open. In 1982, she would go on to win both Wimbledon
and the French Open.
By the mid-1980s, Navratilova hit her stride and embarked on
her domination of the women's tennis scene. After losing the
French Open in 1983, she would go o to win all three remaining
Grand Slam tournaments that year – Wimbledon, the US Open and
the Australian Open. Amazingly, her defeat at the
season-opening French Open was her only loss for that season
and she went 86-1 win-loss for the year. That is the best-ever
winning percentage for a professional tennis player for a
single season.
About The Author: Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles for
http://etenniscenter.com/ - In addition, Jonathon also writes
articles for http://igolfcentral.net/ and
http://universeofentertainment.com/
tennis player in the history of the game. She captured 18 Grand
Slam singles titles and 40 Grand Slam doubles titles.
She was born in Czechoslovakia on October 18, 1956 and at age
18 defected to the United States in 1975. She was granted US
citizenship in 1981. Her given name was Martna Subertova but
her parents divorced when she was three and her mother
remarried a man named Miroslav Navratil, who would later one
become her very first tennis coach. Martina later on adopted
her stepfather's name and added the feminine suffix "ova."
By the time she was 15, Navratilova was making her mark on the
tennis scene. She won the Czechoslovakian national tennis
championship in 1972 and turned professional the very next year
at age 16. Her first professional singles victory came in 1974
in Orlando, Florida.
She is best known as a strong left-handed serve-and-volleyer
with magnificent volleying skills and an aggressive and
powerful game. Her excellence on the court raised the quality
of the women's game to new heights. Early in her career,
Navratilova was on the overweight side and received some sharp
remarks from the press for it. However, showing her firm
determination, Navratilova soon whipped herself into shape with
a punishing fitness routine that she maintained throughout the
rest of her career. Eventually, a high level of conditioning
soon became a hallmark of her game.
In 1978, she won her first Grand Slam singles tournament at
Wimbledon, defeating Chris Evert in three sets in the
championship. Her victory propelled her to the top of the
women's rankings and she was named the number one female tennis
player in the world for the first time. Evert and Navratilova
would meet again in the Wimbledon finals a year later and
Navratilova would once again prevail.
In 1981, Navratilova bagged her third Grand Slam singles title,
once again by defeating Evert in the finals, this time in the
Australian Open. In 1982, she would go on to win both Wimbledon
and the French Open.
By the mid-1980s, Navratilova hit her stride and embarked on
her domination of the women's tennis scene. After losing the
French Open in 1983, she would go o to win all three remaining
Grand Slam tournaments that year – Wimbledon, the US Open and
the Australian Open. Amazingly, her defeat at the
season-opening French Open was her only loss for that season
and she went 86-1 win-loss for the year. That is the best-ever
winning percentage for a professional tennis player for a
single season.
About The Author: Jonathon Hardcastle writes articles for
http://etenniscenter.com/ - In addition, Jonathon also writes
articles for http://igolfcentral.net/ and
http://universeofentertainment.com/
