The life of a sports athlete often shifts dramatically after they step away from the arena. For many, the roar of the crowd fades, and so does their presence in the public eye. But then, there are those rare few who continue to stay relevant, making waves even after their final match point. One such legend is Martina Navratilova, a tennis great who has not just left a lasting impact on the court but has continued to make meaningful contributions off of it. Navratilova has always been more than just a champion; she’s a force of nature, and her latest gesture has once again taken the world by storm.

The 67-year-old former tennis star, along with her wife Julia Lemigova, has adopted two young boys as the couple grow their family. The information was shared by journalist and tennis commentator Jon Wertheim on his X account. This comes as a major surprise for the tennis community given the scepticism that the couple had demonstrated in the recent past. 

In an interview with Piers Morgan in March 2023, Navratilova highlighted that bringing a new child would be difficult given the cancer trauma she has had in the past. It was for the first time in 2010 when Navratilova faced a non-invasive form of breast cancer called ductal carcinoma. Thirteen years later, her struggles returned as found out she had two types of cancer at the same time. After being diagnosed with Stage 1 throat cancer, doctors conducted a biopsy and discovered a lump on her breast, which was Stage 1 breast cancer as well.

But with the couple defying the odds, Navratilova’s happiness seems to be on cloud nine. Sharing the joy, Navratilova said, “We are over the moon recognizing the challenges and the rewards for everybody.” The couple, meanwhile, have desired privacy and time away from the glam of the media. Reportedly, Navratilova, along with her former USSR model wife, have been planning to increase their family for a long time. 

Discussing with Bravo TV in February this year, the RHOM star announced, “We’re renewing our plans for the adoption and maybe we’ll get a happy call anytime… [I’m] just living life at [the] fullest and I don’t think of tomorrow, I think of only today.”

Lemigova will be a mother for the fourth time in her life and Navratilova will experience the ups and downs of parenthood for the first time. Remember, the couple have been married for almost a decade now and have been sharing an affectionate bond with each other. But besides her journey towards adopting children, her endeavor to reveal her sexuality was equally difficult and chaotic. 

When Navratilova revealed the objections she faced from her parents about her sexuality

Adopting children is the only way for same-sex couple to grow their family. But Navratilova had to fight hard with her own family to make them accept her sexuality and beliefs. In a YouTube video in 2023, Navratilova highlighted the challenges she endured while coming out to her parents. 

Navratilova revealed her gender identity to her parents back in 1981, when being gay was not widely accepted. “I wasn’t gonna tell them (parents) but if they asked, I wasn’t gonna lie. So, when they asked, I said, and my dad went crazy. I wasn’t happy for a while, but we never stopped talking. He read some books on the subject. And realized that it wasn’t anything that I did or that he did or anything like that. He was cool with it.” But her mother was not as open as her father. 

Navratilova acknowledged that her mother had a harder time with the situation than her father. However, she expressed her gratefulness for her mother’s support that came eventually. As the 18-time Grand Slam winner is now celebrating one of the iconic moments of her life, the tennis community would be anticipating more exciting updates from the couple.