‘Martina Is Gay’- Billie Jean King Details How Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert Helped Her Come Out

Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova are one of the most appropriate examples of strong women. When people thought women’s tennis was just a side substance to men’s tennis, they proved the thrill and range of skills it can provide with their rivalry.

Further, they have always been outspoken about social evils and have expressed their thoughts bravely, just like Billie Jean King. While making King’s dream a reality, they came close to her. In fact, the former World No.1s were amongst the few who accepted King when she came out as a lesbian.

Billie Jean King on people who supported her during her most difficult times

King, while speaking for a podcast, stumbled upon the question of who stayed by her side when she embraced her true self. The 12-time Grand Slam champion said, “You find who your true friends are and there is nothing like that. Chris Evert was fantastic. Unbelievable. She and Martina Navratilova.”

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Thereafter, King disclosed how Navratilova needed a little push as well. She added, “Martina is gay. She came out right after the lawsuit. She said I am gonna outed by this guy. I said, well if you are up to it and if you’re comfortable enough in your skin, you need to control the messaging and you need to come out. So I was, and she came out.”

King, after spending a few years as Larry King’s wife, decided to find herself. She broke her tie with the American sports promoter in 1987 and embarked on a journey to discover what her heart desired. She finally found her soulmate in a fellow tennis professional. King tied the knot with Ilana Kloss, the former doubles World No.1, in 2018.

Further, speaking of the nine-time Wimbledon champion, Navratilova, with the support of her best friend and King, mustered the strength and now is in a happy relationship with the Russian model Julia Lemigova. Lemigova and Navratilova have been married since 2014.

Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert’s rivalry

Evert and Navratilova had really different styles of playing and that’s what made their matches exciting. While Navratilova believed in expressing herself on the court, the seven-time French Open champion kept a calm and composed demeanor.

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They locked horns 80 times in total, out of which in the first 20 matches Evert had a lead of 16-4. However, by the end of her career, the Czech American brought the head-to-head to 43-37.