Tennis legend Martina Navratilova has had many rivalries with some of the legends of the game, like Chris Evert, Billie Jean King, and many others. Although she played with Evert the most, her rivalry with King remained in the hearts of many fans. Also, King and Navratilova developed a friendship that has withstood the test of time.

In an interview with Vanity Fair in 2008, King praised the Czech-American player for her bravery and openness on the tour.

Billie Jean King praised Martina Navratilova for her bravery

During that interview, 12-time Grand Slam champion Billie Jean King talked about Navratilova opening about her sexuality. She said, “The only reason she came out is because some reporter was going to talk about her the next day. But Martina is very comfortable in her own skin, and that’s how Martina helped me. She is also hardwired very differently.”

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“Martina doesn’t think about consequences when she does something. I am always worried about consequences. You are either born shy or you are not. I am kind of a w**s. There are a lot of people involved when you live your life in the public eye,” King further revealed.

Notably, King earlier had a nice hitting session with Navratilova, where they were practicing their volleys. King posted on her Twitter and wrote, “What a thrill and a privilege to hit a few balls with Martina Navratilova. The years have passed, but the friendship and memories remain.”

The rivalry between Navratilova and King

When Navratilova became a pro on the tour, King had already become a huge name in tennis. Also, King was near the end of her career. Still, those two had some memorable fights on the tour. During their career, they played 14 times, and out of those 14 meetings, Navratilova won 8 times and King won 6 times.

During their rivalry, King had a pretty good start, winning all of their first four meetings. Later, Navratilova bounced back and started beating the great champion. One of their most memorable matches was at Wimbledon 1980 when King played in the quarterfinal against the Czech-American player.

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After a tremendous battle, Navratilova outlasted King in the third set to win the match 7-6,1-6,10-8. In terms of their overall career, Navratilova had a better career, winning the 18 Grand Slam singles titles. However, King’s legacy as one of the stalwarts of the sport will remain forever, as she played a pivotal role in creating the WTA.