Martina Navratilova
Member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame
As the game's most prolific winner of the open era--probably ever--Martina Navratilova. Martina retired from singles at the 1994 year-end WTA Championships at Madison Square Garden in an opening-round defeat by Gabriela Sabatini, 6-4, 6-2. Nobody, ever, has had such a glittering trove of numbers. As a pro since 1973, she played the most singles tournaments (380) and matches (1,650), and won the most titles (167) and matches (1,438) with a won-lost mark of 1,438-212. She won more prize money, $20,344,061, than all but Ivan Lendl and Pete Sampras. Her doubles feats, attesting to a grandeur of completeness, were as sparkling: played the second most tournaments (286) and the most matches (1,111), and won the most titles (162) and matches (989) with a won-lost mark of 989-122. Throw in infrequent but very positive mixed doubles: played 27 tournaments, won 8 with a won-lost of 94-19. Overall for this three-way stretcher: played the most tournaments (693) and matches (2,874); won the most titles (337) and matches (2,521) with a 2,521-353 won-lost. Thus she battled .872 in singles, .890 in doubles, and .832 in mixed--.877 for everything. It means she won 48.6 percent of all the tournaments she entered. In the matter of major titles, her starburst of 56 (18 singles, 31 doubles, 7 mixed) didn't quite reach Margaret Court's stratospheric 62 (24-19-19). Despite her record nine Wimbledons in singles she's still a step behind Billie Jean King's overall record of 20, Martina holding 9-7-3. Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2000, arguably the greatest player of all time, Martina was born on October. 18, 1956, in Prague, Czechoslovakia, and became a U.S. citizen in 1981, after defecting six years earlier. She was raised by her mother, Jana, and stepfather, Mirek Navratil, whose name she took. Her proudest times were spent in the game's temple, Centre Court, Wimbledon, where she became the all-time singles champ by defeating Zina Garrison, 6-4, 6-1, in 1990--her ninth championship. Navratilova also won four U.S., three Australian and two French singles. Australian Open Champion in 1981, '83 and '85; French Open Champion in 1982 and '84; Wimbledon Champion in 1978, '79, '82-'87, '90 and U.S. Open Champion in 1983, '84, '86 and '87.
| EVENT |
PLACE |
POINTS |
MONEY |
EVENT WINS |
| 1982 Women's Final |
3 |
29 |
$18,700 |
Bike Race |
| 1984 Women's Final |
5 |
23 |
$2,300 |
None |
| TOTALS |
52 |
$21,000 |
1 |