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‘Gutted I Can’t Be There’ – COVID Deters Martina Navratilova From Taking Part in a Legendary Wimbledon Honor Alongside Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Roger Federer, and Others

Published 07/03/2022, 9:57 AM EDT

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It has been a tough year for Wimbledon Championships due to the number of players withdrawing from the tournament at the last minute after testing positive for Covid. Now, Wimbledon’s one of the greatest champions, Martina Navratilova has also tested positive for Covid and will miss a prestigious event today.

Notably, the former Czech-American player won the singles titles at Wimbledon Championships 9 times in her career. Earlier, she took to social media and announced the bad news to her fans.

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Martina Navratilova to miss the centenary celebrations at Wimbledon Championships 2022

Earlier, tennis journalist Stuart Fraser announced the news on his Twitter about Navratilova testing positive. Then, Navratilova retweeted that, as she was feeling heartbroken. “And I am gutted I can’t be there…,” Navratilova wrote on Twitter.

Meanwhile, the 18-time Grand Slam champion was talking about the centenary celebrations at Wimbledon, which will take place on Sunday. It’s the 100th anniversary of the Centre Court, which was a part of the competition since 1922. During this special event, Wimbledon invited many stars and former champions, including Navratilova, who won the most number of Wimbledon titles in the history of tennis.

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‘Ruined So Many People’s Lives’- Martina Navratilova Once Reminisced About Her Adverse Childhood and Her Mother’s ‘Melancholic Streak’

In this event, Wimbledon also invited the 8-time Wimbledon singles champion and one of the greatest ever players to play the game, Roger Federer. Earlier today, he also arrived in Wimbledon, which caused a massive stir on social media. Moreover, Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe will also be there. Additionally, around 1500 refugees will also be there at the tournament, mostly from Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Syria.

Billie Jean King praises Navratilova during the celebration at Wimbledon Championships

Meanwhile, Navratilova’s mentor and good friend, Billie Jean King praised the great champion during the centenary celebrations. She said, “Martina could not be here with us. She’s won 9 women’s singles here. So, I just like to say I’m sorry she’s not here.”

Watch This Story: Martina Navratilova once questioned Serena Williams’ bizarre Wimbledon retirement 

After hearing King’s kind words, Navratilova reacted on Twitter as she wrote, “Thanks Billie.”

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In a separate Tweet, she further said, “Thanks Billie for your kind words, I cried with Sue and also with Jana… so can’t really complain… “

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Notably, Navratilova and King had a great rivalry during the 80s and 90s, and Navratilova had a better head-to-head record (8-6) against the 12-time Grand Slam champion.

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Written by:

Debkinkar Maity

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Debkinkar Maity is a Tennis Author at EssentiallySports. His desire to become a sports journalist inspired him to take up a degree in journalism and mass communication, and he hasn't looked back ever since. Following the sport for over a decade now, Debkinkar has an ardent love for Roger Federer.
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Edited by:

Deepakshi Chaudhary