Legendary Czech and American tennis player Martina Navratilova retired in the year 2006. However, the problems women’s tennis faced while she was playing have changed little. People still argue about the capabilities of female tennis players, mainly citing the fact that WTA doesn’t hold five-set tournaments.
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Recently, a reporter uploaded a list of players with the maximum number of singles title victories. To which, a fan replied that Martina’s record of 167 singles career titles beats them all. The statement resulted in a full-fledged argument about whether records of female players should be compared with men or not.
Martina Navratilova weighs in
The former World No.1, when stumbled upon the argument, decided to toss in her views. She mentioned that WTA players were more than happy to play in 5-set matches in Grand Slams. As she wrote, “we offered to play 3 out of 5 in the 80s, were rebuffed. If that’s your argument, it’s pretty sad. I would have loved to have played 3 out of 5- less pressure.”
We offered to play 3 out of 5 in the 80’s, were rebuffed. If that’s your argument, it’s pretty sad. I would have loved to have played 3 out of 5- less pressure…
— Martina Navratilova (@Martina) June 6, 2022
Martina has some pretty impressive records in every category. She has won 18 Grand Slam titles and has 167 singles plus 177 doubles titles to her name.
Further, back in her days, the left-handed tennis ace held the ranking of World No.1 for 332 weeks, the second longest streak only behind Steffi Graf (377 weeks). Also, Martina is one of the three female tennis players who has accomplished a Career Grand Slam in women’s singles, doubles and mixed doubles.
Navratilova’s playing style
Martina Navratilova’s style of playing was based on dominating the match throughout its duration. The 18-time Grand Slam champion spent the majority of her match time at the net.
She perfectly used her left-handed serves and crisp volleys to control rallies. Further, Navratilova’s serves were quick and effective, and she used a one-handed backhand on several occasions.
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In addition, Martina overpowered her opponents with the help of her fitness, strength and agility. However, her baseline game was a little weak, as she lacked consistency. Also, her forehand shots were, on occasions, error prone. Even so, the Czech-American legend was one of the toughest players, and even to this day, aspiring young turks draw inspiration from her exquisite professional career.
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Edited by
Tony Thomas