Martina Navratilova had established herself as a bold and aggressive player during her career. She played the sport with full emotions and did not shy away from expressing her discontent if arose.

During her semi-finals match against Chris Evert in 1981, there was some debacle from the audience. Consequently, this disturbed the match. She did not shy away from shutting down the audience member who caused the commotion. However, even after that, Navratilova remained calm and continued with the same grit and won the match.

Martina Navratilova on playing Evert during a furor in the audience

Navratilova, after remaining stateless for years and away from her family, who were in Czechoslovakia, had finally gained some security. She had become a US citizen and was playing her first US Open after that. She had reached the semi-finals against her arch-rival Chris Evert in the semi-finals.

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However, there was a commotion in the audience who were under the influence. They were screaming, drinking, and shouting so much that the match had to be halted to maintain the decorum. Afterward, she said, “I don’t think I would take a vacation at Flushing Meadows.”

WATCH THIS STORY: ‘Seems to Get Injured a Lot’ – Martina Navratilova Once Used Serena Williams’ Example to Talk About the ‘Fragmented’ Nature of Women’s Tennis. 

Besides that, one of the spectators also started bawling out at Navratilova. To this, she had a blunt reply. She said, “Go have another beer and shut up during the points!”

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However, she remained calm after that and defeated Chris Evert in the semi-finals. She accepted later on, “That scuffle in the stands could easily have put me away.”

The legendary rivalry between Chris Evert and Navratilova

Evert and Navratilova met each other on the court 80 times, out of which 60 were in the finals itself. The players met each other at the 14 grand slam finals. Their rivalry started in Akron, Ohio in 1973 and ended in Chicago in 1988.

Interestingly, both the players have won 18 grand slam titles each in their careers. Even now, both the players respect each other’s friendship as much as they value their rivalry.