Martina Navratilova at 70: Her life in photos
Martina Navratilova celebrates her 70th birthday on October 18, marking seven decades of a life lived at full throttle and offering a moment to reflect on a legacy that reaches well beyond sports.
Navratilova’s fierce serve-and-volley style and dedication to physical fitness revolutionized women’s tennis and took her to the top of the game. Off court, she has been just as impactful as a sports commentator and social advocate. Unfailingly authentic, she has been resilient in public and private -- and always worn her heart on her sleeve.
Beyond the staggering statistics of her Hall of Fame career, Navratilova describes herself as “a bit of a geek” who can’t say no to a nice pair of sneakers. As a child growing up on the outskirts of Prague, she loved picking mushrooms in the forest, and after retiring from the WTA Tour, she took woodworking classes and earned her pilot’s license. She also admires actress Katharine Hepburn for her strength and individuality.
“Tennis has given me everything,” Navratilova has often said. In turn, she continues to inspire fans around the world. As she enters her eighth decade, we look back at some of her defining highlights.
Destiny’s child
In 1975, a teenage Martina Navratilova met immigrant Czech children while playing a tournament in Sydney, Australia. The same year, after losing in the semifinals of the US Open, she made the heartbreaking decision to defect from Czechoslovakia and seek asylum in America. “After that,” Navratilova once said, “everything is a piece of cake.”
Rivals and friends
In 1978, at the age of 21, Navratilova defeated Chris Evert to capture the first of her record nine Wimbledon singles titles, and 18 singles majors overall -- a “bittersweet” moment given the absence of her family. The win saw her usurp Evert as WTA World No. 1 for the first time. The legendary rivals would meet 80 times in all, the head-to-head matchup landing in Navratilova’s favor, 43-37. They also became lifelong friends.
Partners in history
At Eastbourne in 1985, Navratilova and Pam Shriver were presented with a cake to mark their 100th doubles match win in a row. The most successful duo in women’s tennis history won 20 Grand Slam trophies among 79 titles together, with Navratilova pocketing a record 177 doubles titles overall.
The long way home
In 1986, Navratilova returned to Prague for the first time since her defection, as a member of the U.S. Fed Cup team. The Americans prevailed, to the delight of many Czech fans -- even though the home team also reached the final. Navratilova regained her Czech citizenship in 2008 and was awarded the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Order of the White Lion, in 2025.
Family reunion
With a peerless 1,442 match-wins and 167 titles to her name, Navratilova retired from singles at the WTA Finals at New York’s Madison Square Garden in 1994. This time, her parents -- mother, Jana and stepfather, Miroslav -- could be part of the emotional occasion. “My father used to say I had a golden arm and I must use it,” she said. “If I had not gone into tennis, I would have chosen a career perhaps as an architect or engineer.”
Almost 50, still winning
Navratilova won the last of her 59 Grand Slam titles at the 2006 US Open, partnering Bob Bryan to capture the mixed doubles. The age-defying win, just six weeks shy of her 50th birthday, was a testament to her game-changing approach to training and fitness and her close attention to nutrition.
The Czech connection
In 2013, Navratilova attended the WTA’s 40th anniversary celebrations in London, where she reconnected with Jana Novotna, one of the many Czech champions inspired by the left-hander’s example over the past 50 years. Novotna drove Navratilova to radiotherapy appointments in Paris when she was treated for breast cancer in 2010.
Out and proud
After coming out in 1981 as one of the first openly gay athletes, Navratilova became a proud and vocal advocate on LGBTQ issues, even if it cost her sponsors. In 2014 she married Julia Lemigova and became a stepmother to Emma and Victoria. Later, in 2024, the couple adopted two young boys. “Getting married and having a family has been the greatest joy,” she said.
Ambassador and survivor
In 2018, Navratilova joined forces with fellow champions including Billie Jean King as a Legend Ambassador at the WTA Finals in Singapore. A two-time cancer survivor, she says she is “especially proud to support the work of the WTA Foundation and its ACEing Cancer initiative -- beating cancer was a huge personal win for me.”
Courtside voice
Navratilova continues in her role as an unapologetically candid and highly respected television analyst, most notably for Tennis Channel, the BBC and Sky UK. She also tours the world giving motivational speeches to corporate clients and charities.
Return to the Hall
In 2026, Navratilova joined the celebrations as Roger Federer was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. For an exhibition match alongside the Swiss great against Gabriela Sabatini and Marat Safin, she donned a tennis dress she wore on tour in the 1970s.
