Martina Navratilova, an established and bold tennis player, is an inspiration to millions because of her rise from a politically conflicted country to becoming the world no. 1. Moreover, the player had to leave her country and stay stateless for some time too. Not just that, the reaction of her grandparents was also not favorable to the decision of the player to seek asylum in the USA.
Martina Navratilova’s grandfather was not pleased with her decision to defect.
Martina Navratilova was just 18 at the time she sought asylum in the USA. When her grandfather found out about this, he said, “Oh, the little idiot, why did she do that?”
What did Navratilova say about moving to The USA?
She had made this decision for herself because being in a political turmoil country was hindering her growth. She said, “I felt if I did not get out, I could not become the best tennis player in the world.”
What happened to Martina Navratilova after seeking asylum?
History is the witness of the player’s achievements. Navratilova won her first grand slam title in 1978 at Wimbledon by defeating Chris Evert. she also became the world no. 1 player in the world with 59 grand slam titles under her name. Out of which, 18 were singles.
Navratilova's rivalry with Evert.
Her rivalry with Chris Evert brought a lot of good name to the women’s sport. They played 80 matches against each other, out of which 60 were finals only. Overall, Navratilova holds a 43-37 edge in their head-to-head meetings.