Early Life and Education of Martina Navratilova: A Complete Timeline

How education and upbringing influenced the life of Martina Navratilova. A timeline of key moments.

Martina Navratilova, a Czech-American former professional tennis player, is considered one of the greatest of all time. She held the world No. 1 ranking in singles for 332 weeks and in doubles for a record 237 weeks. Navratilova amassed an Open Era record of 59 major titles: 18 in singles, 31 in women's doubles, and 10 in mixed doubles, along with 167 top-level singles titles and 177 doubles titles. Her nine Wimbledon singles titles remain an all-time record. She, alongside Chris Evert, dominated women's tennis during the 1980s.

Sections (7)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals Legacy & Impact

1948: Coup d'état in Czechoslovakia

In 2007, Martina Navratilova made reference to the 1948 coup d'état in Czechoslovakia when discussing her feelings about the U.S. under George W. Bush.

October 18, 1956: Birth of Martina Navratilova

On October 18, 1956, Martina Navratilova, née Šubertová, was born in Czechoslovakia. She would become a Czech-American professional tennis player.

1962: Stepfather as First Tennis Coach

In 1962, Martina Navratilova's mother married Miroslav Navrátil, who became her first tennis coach. Martina then took the name of her stepfather (adding the feminine suffix -ová), thus becoming Martina Navrátilová.

1975: Runner-up at Major Singles Tournaments and Defection to the U.S.

In 1975, Martina Navratilova was the runner-up at the Australian Open and the French Open. After losing to Chris Evert in the US Open semifinals in September 1975, she defected from communist Czechoslovakia. Also, in 1975, Navratilova teamed with world number one Evert to win the French Open women's doubles title.

1975: Sought Political Asylum in the United States

In 1975, at the age of 18, Martina Navratilova, originally from Czechoslovakia, sought political asylum in the United States and was granted temporary residence.

July 30, 1981: Coming Out as Bisexual

On July 30, 1981, the New York Daily News published an article where Martina Navratilova came out as bisexual, revealing a relationship with Rita Mae Brown. The article was published despite Navratilova's request to wait until she was ready to come out publicly.

1981: Became a U.S. Citizen

In 1981, Martina Navratilova became a U.S. citizen.

September 1982: Acute Toxoplasmosis Attack

In September 1982, Martina Navratilova experienced an acute attack of toxoplasmosis which, according to The New York Times, contributed to her defeat during the US Open tournament against Pam Shriver.

1982: Co-authored Tennis Instruction Book

In 1982, Martina Navratilova co-wrote a tennis instruction book with Mary Carillo titled "Tennis My Way".

Tennis My Way

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1982: Met Judy Nelson

In 1982, Martina Navratilova met Judy Nelson, whom she would begin a long-term relationship with, at a tournament in Fort Worth.

1984: Long Term Relationship with Judy Nelson

In 1984, Martina Navratilova began a long term relationship with Judy Nelson, which lasted until 1991.

1984: Vision Deterioration

In 1984, Martina Navratilova's vision began to deteriorate, leading her to start wearing glasses in 1985.

1985: Started Wearing Glasses

In 1985, Martina Navratilova began wearing glasses, noting that her vision had started to deteriorate in 1984. Her glasses became iconic.

1985: Release of Autobiography

In 1985, Martina Navratilova released her autobiography, co-written with George Vecsey, titled "Martina" in the U.S. and "Being Myself" elsewhere.

Martina

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1991: Split from Judy Nelson

In 1991, Martina Navratilova split from Judy Nelson, resulting in a televised palimony lawsuit that was settled out of court.

1992: Lawsuit against Amendment 2

In 1992, Martina Navratilova participated in a lawsuit against Amendment 2, a ballot proposition in Colorado designed to prevent sexual orientation from being a protected class.

1993: Spoke at March on Washington

In 1993, Martina Navratilova spoke before the March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation.

1994: Publication of The Total Zone

In 1994, Martina Navratilova co-authored the mystery novel "The Total Zone" with Liz Nickles.

The Total Zone

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1994: Wimbledon Final and Retirement

In 1994, at age 37, Martina Navratilova reached the Wimbledon final, losing to Conchita Martínez. In November 1994, after losing in the first round of the WTA Tour Championships, she retired from full-time singles competition.

1996: Publication of Breaking Point

In 1996, Martina Navratilova co-authored the mystery novel "Breaking Point" with Liz Nickles.

1997: Publication of Killer Instinct

In 1997, Martina Navratilova co-authored the mystery novel "Killer Instinct" with Liz Nickles.

2000: Received National Equality Award

In 2000, Martina Navratilova was the recipient of the National Equality Award from the Human Rights Campaign.

April 2006: Resumed Eating Fish

In April 2006, Martina Navratilova stated in an interview that she had started eating fish again as she found it difficult to obtain sufficient protein while traveling as a vegetarian.

2006: Publication of Shape Your Self

In 2006, Martina Navratilova released a health and fitness book titled "Shape Your Self".

Shape Your Self: My 6-Step Diet and Fitness Plan to Achieve the Best Shape of Your Life

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2007: Criticism of the U.S. under George W. Bush

In 2007, Martina Navratilova was quoted as being ashamed of the U.S. under President George W. Bush due to his democratically elected status, contrasting it with the communist regime in Czechoslovakia.

January 9, 2008: Reacquired Czech Citizenship

On January 9, 2008, Martina Navratilova reacquired her Czech citizenship, becoming a dual citizen. She stated she has not renounced her U.S. citizenship nor does she plan to do so, and that reclaiming Czech nationality was not politically motivated.

January 2010: Mammogram Revealed Breast Cancer

In January 2010, a routine mammogram revealed that Martina Navratilova had a ductal carcinoma in situ in her left breast.

April 7, 2010: Announced Breast Cancer Diagnosis

On April 7, 2010, Martina Navratilova announced that she was being treated for breast cancer, which was discovered during a routine mammogram in January 2010.

December 2010: Hospitalized with Pulmonary Edema

In December 2010, Martina Navratilova was hospitalized after developing high altitude pulmonary edema while attempting to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

September 6, 2014: Proposed to Julia Lemigova

On September 6, 2014, Martina Navratilova proposed to her long-time girlfriend Julia Lemigova at the US Open.

December 15, 2014: Married Julia Lemigova

On December 15, 2014, Martina Navratilova married Julia Lemigova in New York.

2018: Documentary in Development

In 2018, it was reported that Glenn Greenwald was developing a feature-length documentary about Martina Navratilova with Reese Witherspoon's production company, Hello Sunshine.

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February 2019: Controversy over Transgender Athletes

In February 2019, Martina Navratilova wrote an article for The Times expressing her criticism of allowing transgender women to compete in women's sports, leading to Athlete Ally removing her from their advisory board.

January 2023: Diagnosed with Throat and Breast Cancer

In January 2023, Martina Navratilova was diagnosed with both throat (stage one) and breast cancer after discovering a swollen lymph node on her neck.

March 2023: Declared Cancer-Free

In March 2023, after undergoing preventive radiation, Martina Navratilova announced that she was cancer-free.

2024: Documentary Filming

During an interview at the Salesforce World Tour London 2024 event, Martina Navratilova confirmed in 2024 that a documentary was currently being filmed with her and Chris Evert.