‘I’ll Be Crying After Every Match I Play’- When Martina Navratilova Left Without Farewell in Her Last Appearance in Chicago

Martina Navratilova is one of the best tennis players of all time. The legend has inspired many young girls to pick up the racket. Apart from her brilliant game, she had an amazingly long age-defying career. The 65-year-old declared her retirement at an age of 37, but she made a comeback later at an age of 43.

After declaring her retirement for the first time, Navratilova played for the last time in the Chicago Open. It was one of her favorite tournaments. She had won it for a record 12 times. Although it disappointed her to a large extent when she crashed out of the quarterfinals. She even missed the farewell ceremony that was planned by the organizers. Here’s what she had to say about the incident.

Martina Navratilova disappointed with her loss

Later, Navratilova said she was not happy with her efforts in the match. Further, she told a fan thanking her made her realize that she did not give her best.

“I was OK when I lost the match, but then when I walked off some guy said, `Thank you, Martina,’ and I just… I really did not quite take it seriously enough in the beginning, and in the second set, I was on my heels the whole time. If this tournament is any indication, I’ll be crying after every match I play,” she said.

Read more: ‘I’m Going to Beat Him Up’ – Martina Navratilova Once Threatened to Confront ATP Player Who Called WTA Players ‘Fat Pigs’

Later, the legend staged a successful comeback to the court. Playing alongside Leander Paes in mixed doubles, she won the Australian Open title in 2003. The emotions she had after Chicago showed her passion and dedication to the game, even in the latter half of her career.

Navratilova replies to a hater on Twitter

Martina Navratilova has been the voice of tennis for quite some time now. The 65-year-old works as a commentator and tennis expert. As a part of her job, she had commented on the Australian Open debacle that happened with Novak Djokovic.

While many believe it was unfair to the Serb, others were in the opinion that the law of land is above all and should be respected. Navratilova also echoed similar thoughts. However, this did not go down well with a Djokovic fan who targeted her for the same.

Watch this story: How Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams, and Others Travel

Navratilova took to her Twitter account and explained that her opinion might differ from Djokovic’s, but there’s nothing she could have done about the Australian Government’s regulations. Recently, the 35-year-old won Wimbledon Championships 2022 after losing out on the first two Grand Slams of the year.