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Over the years, we have seen many players attaining the status of legends in tennis. From the likes of Billie Jean King to Serena Williams and Roger Federer, these players have graced the sport with their audacious performances. Further, amongst them was Martina Navratilova, a multiple times Grand Slam champion across formats.

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Early on in her career, Navratilova overcame all odds to make it to the big stage in tennis. Moreover, she moved to the United States from her native country to continue her dream of playing tennis. During her illustrious career, she went on to win 59 Grand Slam titles across formats, including 18 singles, 31 women’s doubles, and 10 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. While she was at the fag end of her career, she had a confrontation with Dutch tennis player, Richard Krajicek.

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When Martina Navratilova slammed Richard Krajicek for his inappropriate comments

A former Wimbledon champion, Krajicek caused a massive stir after his inappropriate comments towards women tennis players. He said, “I said that 80 percent of the top 100 (women) are fat pigs, but I just over-exaggerated a little bit. What I meant to say is that only 75 percent, yes.”

However, Navratilova didn’t take his comments lightly, slamming him by saying, “I’m going to beat him up.” Subsequently, Krajicek replied to Navratilova, saying, “She should not take it personally, because she’s not a fat pig.”

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READ MORE: Tiger Woods’ Firm Stance on LIV Golf Controversy Receives a Nod of Approval From Martina Navratilova

Further, Krajicek argued that women were always complaining that they didn’t earn as much as men. He went on to say that male tennis players played the best of five sets while female tennis players only played the best of three sets.

Why was Navratilova absent for the centenary celebrations of the Wimbledon centre court?

This year, the Wimbledon centre court completed 100 years. On this occasion, the tournament organizers invited former champions to grace the centre court. From Billie Jean King to Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, many tennis stars were present at this event.

WATCH THIS STORY: How Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, and Others Travel

However, Navratilova had to skip the centenary celebrations at Wimbledon after testing positive for COVID-19.

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Vatsal Shah

3,705 Articles

Vatsal Shah is a tennis journalist at EssentiallySports, covering ATP and WTA storylines from the ES Trends Desk since 2023. He delivers breaking insights on major tournaments and player arcs, decoding tactical shifts and viral moments into accessible takeaways for fans worldwide. His coverage of Taylor Townsend’s Dubai title win stood out for capturing both the emotional significance of her victory and the context of her comeback. Drawing on his background as a recreational player, Vatsal adds a courtside perspective to his reporting, bringing depth and authenticity to Grand Slam coverage for the ES News Center. By combining sharp observation with a clear, engaging writing style, he ensures that key tennis moments are not only reported but truly understood. Fluent in English, French, and German, as well as three Indian languages, Gujarati, Hindi, and Marathi, Vatsal connects with a diverse global readership. With his mix of linguistic reach, analytical insight, and passion for the sport, he is carving a niche as a fresh, incisive voice in tennis journalism.

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