‘I Didn’t See My Mother for Four Years’ – Martina Navratilova Narrates a Distressing Episode to Good-Friend Chris Evert

Martina Navratilova is widely regarded as one of the best players ever to have played the sport. During her illustrious career, she won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, 31 major women’s doubles titles, as well as 10 major mixed doubles titles. Her combined total of 59 major titles is an Open Era record!

But, none of this might have been possible had Navratilova not asked for political asylum in the USA in 1975, just at the age of 18. She did this to escape the political crisis in her home country of erstwhile Czechoslovakia, prioritizing her tennis career. In a recent interview with another tennis star and her contemporary Chris Evert, she opened up about her decision to defect to the US. She labeled this time as one of the toughest times of her life.

Navratilova opens up about defection

She recalled, “I waited till I was out of the tournament when you beat me in the semis so then I went straight to the immigration and naturalization office in Manhattan. It was a one-way ticket that’s the tough part about it. I could not go back without repercussions which meant two years in prison actually if I did go back, and never would get out of the country again, or I don’t go back and which means I don’t see my family my sister because they couldn’t get out of the country.”

DIVE DEEPER: ‘Iga Was in the Zone Today’ – Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, and James Blake React in Joy as Iga Swiatek Creates History at Miami Open 2022 by Defeating Naomi Osaka

Martina Navratilova has two regrets about her defection

The former World No. 1 also opened up about her how she dealt with the move. “It was either my tennis and my sanity or living in under a communist regime that dictated when and where I could play so that was the tough part,” she said.

She recalled that making the decision to move was the tough part, but the move itself was not a very complicated process. “But as it turned out, I didn’t see my mother for four years. I didn’t see my father and my sister for five years,” she added. She also opened up about the two regrets that she has about that time. She expressed that she did not start working with a coach after reaching the US. Also, she elaborated that she was forced into defecting, not having much of an option in making that choice.

She also said how the US women’s tennis stars like Betty Stove, Billie Jean King, and Chris Evert accepted her with open arms and made her one of their own. Navratilova says that her team was her family and they took really good care of her!

Watch this story-5 Rafael Nadal Shots That Made Commentators Go Wild at Australian Open 2022