Martina Navratilova is, in the words of Billie Jean King, “the greatest singles, doubles, and mixed doubles player who’s ever lived,” taking women’s tennis to a new level with her fitness, speed, determination, and agility.
In 1975, at the age of 18 years old and after losing the US Open semi-final, Martina walked into the US Immigration and Naturalization Service in New York City and informed them she wanted to defect from Soviet-controlled communist Czechoslovakia.
Career
Martina’s on-court tennis achievements speak for themselves, winning a total of 59 Grand Slam titles (18 singles, 31 ladies doubles and 10 mixed doubles) in an outstanding career.
Martina is the only tennis player to have spent over 200 weeks as world number one in both singles and doubles. She holds the record of nine Wimbledon singles titles, comprising half of her 18 Grand Slam singles titles.
She won 31 Grand Slam titles in women’s doubles, complemented by 10 mixed doubles titles.
Martina is one of only three women to win singles, doubles, and mixed doubles titles at each of the four Grand Slams: the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. Her last Grand Slam victory was in the 2006 US Open mixed doubles, a month shy of her 50th birthday.
In her 33-year professional tennis career, Martina won 354 titles, 167 of them in singles.
Her decades-long rivalry with Chris Evert is considered one of the greatest in sports history, with Martina holding a 43-37 advantage. Off-court, they continue to be best of friends!
Since retiring at almost 50, Martina has forged a career in other fields and also provides her articulate, intelligent, and sometimes outspoken commentary on the Tennis Channel, BBC’s Wimbledon coverage, Amazon Prime Video, and SKY.
Martina now spends her time between being at home and traveling the world extensively, speaking on various issues and participating in other corporate activities.
Martina speaks on various diverse topics as a keynote speaker, adapted to suit the occasion. Martina brings the passion and commitment she demonstrated on the tennis court to issues close to her heart, such as women’s issues, gay rights, underprivileged children, animal rights, environmental protection, AIDS research, and breast cancer awareness. She often intersperses her talks and Q&As with anecdotes of her own life, on and off the court, sharing an affinity with the audience.
Martina has also made a number of television appearances, including I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here!, Dancing with the Stars, the Netflix series The Politician, Will and Grace, and a 1983 episode of Hart to Hart.
Books
As well as her autobiography Martina Navratilova: Being Myself, Martina has written Tennis My Way, an instruction guide in tennis for women and Shape Your Self: My 6- Step Diet and Fitness Plan to Achieve the Best Shape of Your Life.
She has written about the mental health of gay American teenagers in Crisis: 40 Stories Revealing the Personal, Social and Religious Pain and Trauma of Growing up Gay in America.
Martina has also written three mystery thrillers featuring fictional former tennis champion Jordan Myles: The Total Zone, Killer Instinct and Breaking Point.
Awards
Martina was seven times named Player of the Year by the Women’s Tennis Association, the International Tennis Federation’s World Champion six times and Associated Press Female Athlete of the year twice.
For her campaigning activism, Martina received the national Equality Award from the Human Rights Campaign, the largest LGBTQ+ advocacy group in the United States.
In 2003, she was presented with the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2006, she was given the Czech Sport Legend Award.
In 2009, Martina was awarded the International Tennis Federation’s highest accolade, the Philippe Chatrier Award, for her contributions to tennis both on and off the court.
In 2016, Martina was made an Honorary Fellow of Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge.
Personal Life
Martina lives on a small family farm in Florida with her wife and several animals.
This speaker tailors this topic for each event. Please let us know if you'd like us to source a topic description.
This speaker tailors this topic for each event. Please let us know if you'd like us to source a topic description.
This speaker tailors this topic for each event. Please let us know if you'd like us to source a topic description.
This speaker tailors this topic for each event. Please let us know if you'd like us to source a topic description.
This speaker tailors this topic for each event. Please let us know if you'd like us to source a topic description.
This speaker tailors this topic for each event. Please let us know if you'd like us to source a topic description.
This speaker tailors this topic for each event. Please let us know if you'd like us to source a topic description.
This speaker tailors this topic for each event. Please let us know if you'd like us to source a topic description.
Learn how a heartfelt apology shared by Johnny Crowder can help you break stigma and ignite life-changing conversations about mental health and self-compassion.
Read MoreExplore how former NASA astronaut Dr. Leroy Chiao’s experiences in space unlock insights on leadership, innovation, and resilience for teams on Earth.
Read MoreFind out how event personalization, AI-driven insights, and interactive storytelling are revolutionizing keynote speeches with business futurist Greg Verdino.
Read More“Entertainment is the emotional glue that connects people to ideas.”—Robert McKee, storytelling expert There’s a shift that happens the moment someone laughs. Shoulders loosen. The room lightens. The noise of the outside world fades just...
Read MoreDiscover Wendy Porter’s proven WPE Planning Process for crafting live, virtual, and hybrid events that foster genuine connections, boost engagement, and drive ROI.
Read MoreWhy are diversity and inclusion speakers some of the most transformative voices on stage? Because inclusion is no longer a box to check; it’s a culture to create. From boardrooms to classrooms, arenas to virtual...
Read MoreWe’ll connect so we understand your needs to curate a selection of great speakers.
We’ll manage all the details so you will be confident with your choice.
Inform & educate your participants to ideas that transform their work & personal life.
Imagine if a single, mental health–focused apology could dismantle stigma, validate someone’s pain, and launch...
Read MoreIn the boundless vacuum of space, leaders face challenges that dwarf anything encountered on Earth....
Read MoreImagine a keynote at your next event that feels designed just for your audience—where every...
Read More“Entertainment is the emotional glue that connects people to ideas.”—Robert McKee, storytelling expert There’s a...
Read MoreImagine stepping into an event where every detail is designed to foster genuine human connection—from...
Read MoreWhy are diversity and inclusion speakers some of the most transformative voices on stage? Because...
Read More