Martina Navratilova turned 70 on 18 October 2026, and the tennis world marked the moment with tributes to a career that still reads like a misprint: 167 singles titles, 177 doubles titles and 59 Grand Slam crowns. These days fans know her voice as well as her volleys, as a television analyst for Tennis Channel, the BBC and Sky.
Nine Wimbledon singles titles say the rest. Browse our Tennis collection.
Martina Navratilova Fact File
| Full name | Martina Navratilova (born Martina Šubertová) |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 18 October 1956 (age 70) |
| Place of birth | Prague, Czechoslovakia |
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) |
| Plays | Left-handed, one-handed backhand |
| Nationality | American and Czech |
| Current status | Retired (singles 1994, final event 2006); TV analyst |
Career History
| Tournament | Singles | Doubles | Mixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open | 3 | 8 | 1 |
| French Open | 2 | 7 | 2 |
| Wimbledon | 9 | 7 | 4 |
| US Open | 4 | 9 | 3 |
| Total | 18 | 31 | 10 |
Grand Slam titles won in women's singles, women's doubles and mixed doubles across her career (1974–2006), per Wikipedia, the WTA and the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Early Years in Řevnice
Born in Prague, Martina grew up in Řevnice, a small town outside the city. Tennis ran in the family: her grandmother, Agnes Semanská, had been one of Czechoslovakia's best players before the Second World War, and her stepfather, Miroslav Navrátil, became her first coach. She took his surname.
She played her first tournament at eight and was Czechoslovakia's No. 1 by her mid-teens. In 1975, aged 18, she helped her country win the Federation Cup, then sought asylum in the United States, becoming an American citizen in 1981.
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Breakthrough at Wimbledon
The first major arrived on Centre Court in 1978, when she beat Chris Evert 2–6, 6–4, 7–5 in the final and climbed to world No. 1 for the first time. She defended the title a year later.
That final also lit the fuse on one of sport's great rivalries. Over 80 meetings Navratilova edged Evert 43–37, the contrast between her attacking serve-and-volley game and Evert's baseline precision defining a decade of women's tennis.
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Peak: Untouchable in the 1980s
With a new fitness regime, Navratilova moved the sport on. She won six straight Wimbledon titles from 1982 to 1987, went 86–1 in 1983 and put together a 74-match winning streak in 1984. In all she spent 332 weeks at No. 1 in singles.
Her doubles was just as dominant. With Pam Shriver she won all four majors in 1984, and in 1987 she completed a US Open triple of singles, doubles and mixed.
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Later Career and Legacy
A ninth Wimbledon singles crown in 1990 set a record that still stands. She retired from singles in 1994 but kept winning in doubles, taking the 2003 Wimbledon mixed title to equal Billie Jean King's 20 Wimbledon titles.
Her final major came at the 2006 US Open, where she won the mixed with Bob Bryan a few weeks short of her 50th birthday. The International Tennis Hall of Fame inducted her in 2000.
Honours
Grand Slam
- 18 Grand Slam singles titles, including a record nine at Wimbledon
- 31 women's doubles and 10 mixed doubles Grand Slam titles
- Calendar Grand Slam in women's doubles with Pam Shriver (1984)
Records
- 167 singles and 177 doubles titles, both Open Era records
- 332 weeks at No. 1 in singles and 237 in doubles
- 74 consecutive match wins (1984)
Team and Recognition
- Federation Cup winner with Czechoslovakia (1975) and the United States
- International Tennis Hall of Fame (2000)
Away From the Game
Navratilova is a familiar voice on television as an analyst for Tennis Channel, the BBC and Sky. She has written several books, including her 1985 autobiography Martina and the fitness guide Shape Your Self, and gives motivational talks to businesses and charities.
FAQs
How old is Martina Navratilova?
Martina Navratilova was born on 18 October 1956, so she is 70.
Where was Martina Navratilova born?
She was born in Prague, then in Czechoslovakia, and grew up in nearby Řevnice.
How tall is Martina Navratilova?
She is 5 ft 8 in (173 cm).
Which countries did Martina Navratilova represent?
She represented Czechoslovakia, winning the 1975 Federation Cup, and later the United States after becoming an American citizen in 1981.
How many Grand Slam titles did Martina Navratilova win?
She won 59 Grand Slam titles: 18 in singles, 31 in women's doubles and 10 in mixed doubles.
How many times did Martina Navratilova win Wimbledon?
She won the Wimbledon singles a record nine times, between 1978 and 1990, and 20 Wimbledon titles in all.
Shop the Martina Navratilova Collection
If Navratilova's attacking brilliance made you fall for tennis, wear the designs that celebrate one of the game's true greats.
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Part of our Player Profiles series. Read next: Steffi Graf Career Story and Serena Williams Career Story.
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