‘My Family Wasn’t There’ – Martina Navratilova Details the Poignant Truth Behind Her Maiden Wimbledon Victory

It was the year 1978. Martina Navratilova was into her maiden Wimbledon finals. She was aiming to win the sport’s biggest honor that year after some marvelous performances in the tournament. However, up against her in the summit clash was Chris Evert, her close friend, and on-court rival. Navratilova went on to win the title, defeating Evert in a three-setter thriller.

It was Navratilova’s first of nine Wimbledon titles. However, it was a bitter-sweet victory for her as her family wasn’t there around her to witness her winning moment. Recently, she described how she felt about winning her first Wimbledon crown.

Martina Navratilova reflects on her first Wimbledon title

During a recent interview, the tennis legend was asked about her proudest achievement. Replying to this question, she said, “The happiest I’ve ever been was winning the first Wimbledon.”

Further, she went on to add, “But again, my family wasn’t there. We couldn’t share it. I don’t know if my parents saw it on TV, that’s how different my situation was from what’s it like these days.”

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Navratilova had to move to the United States due to the deteriorating political situation in her native country. While she moved to America, her family was still in Czechoslovakia and was unable to witness Navratilova’s winning moment.

Navratilova’s advice for Emma Raducanu

The 65-year-old had a piece of advice for the struggling British star. She said, “If I had that many coaches in a year, I would be struggling, too. Too many points of view, too many philosophies – too much information.”

Further, she added, “When you get information from one coach you can kind of sift through that.”

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Defending champion, Raducanu lost in the first round of this year’s US Open. Seeded 11th, she went down against Alize Cornet of France in straight sets. This defeat will have a huge impact on Raducanu’s WTA ranking. She could probably drop out of the top 50 when the rankings will be updated post the US Open.