Features

Martina Navratilova: "I Always Question Authority"

It took a while, but one of Wimbledon’s greatest champions holds a special place in the affection of tennis fans everywhere. By Simon Evans

IT IS the afternoon of July 7, 1978 and, on the Centre Court at Wimbledon, the favourite, and world number one, Chris Evert is about to take on 21-year-old Martina Navratilova, a muscular, mousy-haired Czech who, just three years before, had defected to the United States, leaving behind her mother, sister and half-brother. For Martina it is the culmination of a childhood dream, of everything she has worked for, of everything she has sacrificed.

Martina Subertova was born on October 18, 1956 in Prague but, after her parents divorced when she was three and her mother remarried, she took her stepfather’s name of Navatil, adding the female suffix ‘ova’. Her father, a ski instructor, also remarried but took his own life when Martina was eight. Needless to say life was tough in Sixties Prague, especially after a 1968 uprising was brutally suppressed by the Russians, who promptly installed a rigidly authoritarian government.

Young Martina found escape in tennis and from the age of four would spend many hours just hitting a tennis ball against a cement wall, testing her reactions and developing the serve and volley style that would become her trademark.

Tennis was in her blood – Martina’s grandmother had been a high-ranking tennis player in Czechoslovakia, and Martina soon followed in her footsteps by winning the country’s national tennis championship in 1972, at the age of 15.

A year later she made her debut on the US professional tour, even though she was still technically an amateur, and in 1974 was a member of the Federation Cup-winning Czech team.

But the more Martina played in the West, the more she realised her sporting dreams could not be realised if she stayed in Czechoslovakia, where opportunities to play were limited and training facilities primitive. Life became increasingly intolerable for the free-spirited teenager, especially when the Czech tennis authorities openly censured her for mixing with Western tennis players (she was already a close friend of Chris Evert, the pair having roomed together at a tournament in Paris).

So in 1975, despite the pain involved in leaving her family behind, and still aged only 18, Martina applied for political asylum in the United States.

To continue reading the full story, click here

Have you tried any of these containers? Got some pictures to show off?

Let us know what you think and share your experiences with us and others. Just follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram and YouTube

Other stories in Features

Remembering the Bomber Boys
Bomber Command
Cropredy – the friendly festival
Cricket Summer of 1964
Heroes in the Mountains
1974, the strangest of years
Motorbike at the National Motor Museum
June's book reviews
Royal robes
Peter Sellers’ Aston under the hammer
National Bingo Day 27th June 2023
Hen Harriers
Air up
Simon Evans reviews the latest CDs
April’s Top DVDs selected by Simon Evans
Here we go, here we go…for the Coronation
Otter
Easter on a budget
‘The Slug’ will race again after 100 years
Bath night for dogs
Classic Motoring Memories
Tios Drinks
Shake up your makeup
New Year, New You
From Italy with love
Mail-order meat comes of age
Christmas recipes
Christmas Crafts Part 2
Back to your roots
In your garden in Winter
Christmas Crafts
Christmas Gift Ideas
Vegan Skincare
Recipes for hope
Beauty Feature - Embrace the grey
Calling all coffee fans!
World Oceans Day 8th June
Beauty Feature - Feet First
Craft Corner - A great Easter basket
Battle of Britain
Claire Foy "I didn't get life until I was 32"
Alexander Armstong: "My family is my priority"
Cosyfeet Community Award 2019
How to Maintain Your Independence in the Kitchen
Ruth Wilson "Audience's don't know who I really am"
1969: The Year The Dream Died
Want to live the (Feel)Good Life? Move to Watford
Pressures of the sandwich generation
Steve Coogan"The most radical thing I can do is talk about love"
Oldie of the Year 2019
Rabble: The Movement keeping you fit and making you money!
Suzi Quatro: "I've always been a rocker at heart"
Giving up plastic
Women in WW1
Do you remember? UFO
Bognor and other Regises
John Lennon & Yoko Ono: 'Imagine'
Bill roache "It's a real privilege to make people happy"
Nana Mouskouri "Music brings me peace, love and hope"
How to Earn Money by Working from Home
How to get the best night's sleep, every night
Ringo Starr "I'm learning to handle life"
Headphones with a built in hearing test
Petula Clark: "I make the most of every moment"
London's other underground
Blue Peter: Here's one they made earlier
Gary Oldman: "Acting is an antidote to self hatred"
Emilia Fox: "I've learnt to find my own voice"
Love Your Gut Week Recipes
Puffin photos help to tackle decline of the 'clowns of the sea'
Craig Revel Horwood: "I don't care what people say about me"
Do you remember? Apple Records
What a Carry On!
Worried about being worried?
"I feel like the unluckiest person in the world."
Death of a Princess
Queen Elizabeth: Happy and Glorious
The Beatles: It was 50 years ago...
Hank Marvin: “Meeting Cliff changed my life”
Nicole Kidman "Children are the joy of my life"
The world of Parry Ray
Monty Python: Something completely different
Staffordshire Day
I always think I'm going to get found out
All shook up...The day that Elvis died
Twiggy: "I thought the world had gone mad"
Peter Capaldi: "I like characters who are strange"
Make eating breakfast a resolution which sticks, with milk&more
"Turning 60 can't be that bad!"Jennifer Saunders
The Enduring Power of the Unknown Soldier
Bradley Walsh "Variety is great for the soul"
Thank you, Brewood
"You never know what's round the corner"
1966 and All That
Remembering the Heroic Olympians
Guide for choosing clothes for older relatives
Getting older and disabled drivers behind the wheel
Men in Sheds
Scared to Shop!
Over 40s Named Most Successful Online Daters
Stay at home mum and author re-ignite's her career
Dating in later Life
Great garden getaways
Toton Engineman Review
The Making of Les Mis
“I’m a restless person by nature”
"We’re such country bumpkins”
Still time for tearooms
Hallowed hall of fame