Contact Us
Call us on: +44(0)1332 810 481

Home » Speakers » Martina Navratilova

Martina Navratilova

Martina Navratilova is not only a tennis legend, but a humanitarian and activist who demonstrates wit, candor and sheer motivation. Martina is a truly impressive speaker for a variety of events. Arguably the best tennis player ever to play the game, she amassed an unmatched number of professional records and her career spanned an amazing four decades. Furthermore, she was and still is one of the most intriguing, outspoken and respected figures of the 20th and 21st century.

Enquire

About Martina Navratilova

Martina Navratilova displayed unequalled courage, candor and conviction in 1981 when she became one of the first international sports figures to openly state that she was gay. Through her honesty, integrity and courage, Martina has inspired countless others to do the same.

 

Biography

Martina Navratilova is arguably the best tennis player ever to play the game, and has amassed an unmatched number of professional records during a career that spanned an amazing four decades, while proving herself to be one of the most intriguing, outspoken and respected figures of the 20th and 21st century.

During her career, Martina won an astonishing 59 Grand Slam titles, including 18 singles, 31 women’s doubles and 10 mixed doubles. She is one of only three people who have won all three titles at each of the four Grand Slam events. Beyond this, Martina won a total of 167 singles and 178 doubles titles, both all-time records for tennis players, male or female.

Her 74-match singles winning streak and 109-match doubles winning streak are both professional records as are the 9 Wimbledon singles titles and 6 consecutive Grand Slam titles that she won during the 1980’s.

After her 2000 induction into the tennis hall of fame, Martina continued to play and win on the WTA Tour through October 2006, when she retired after winning the U.S. Open mixed doubles a month before her 50th birthday.

Over the years, Martina has received numerous accolades, including “Tour Player of the Year” (7 times), Associated Press’ “Female Athlete of the Year,” and “Female Athlete of the Decade” by the National Sports Review. She was named “Sportswoman of the Year” (3 times) by Women’s Sports Foundation and was listed on Sports Illustrated’s “Top 40 Athletes of All-time” for her overall contributions to the world of athletics.

Born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, Martina has always proven herself to be fearless about her views and beliefs, as demonstrated in 1975 when she defected to the U.S. in order to flee the repressive regime then in power.

Martina is a staunch supporter of women’s issues, gay rights, ethical treatment of animals, environmental protection and AIDS research. She is also a founder of the Rainbow Card credit card programme and the non-profit Rainbow Endowment.

Since its inception in 1995, the Rainbow Endowment has been one of the strongest supporters of gay and lesbian charities in North America, having given grants in excess of $2 million dollars.

Through her television appearances, speaking engagements and tennis commentaries, Martina has become as popular for her humour as for her forthrightness and determination. In addition, she is an accomplished writer of both fiction and non-fiction, her most recent book, ‘Shape Your Self’ is a guide to personal fitness and healthy living.

In November 2008, Martina appeared on ‘Series 8 of I’m a Celebrity: Get Me Out of Here!’ where she finished as runner-up to Joe Swash.

On 7 April 2010, Martina announced that she was being treated for breast cancer after being diagnosed in February of the same year. Eight months later, she was hospitalized after developing high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) whilst attempting a climb of Mt. Kilimanjaro in Kenya!

Martina is truly an inspirational woman whose stories and speeches are perfect for a variety of events.

The ever-quotable Martina:

“The moment of victory is much too short to live for that and nothing else.”

“I don’t like labels. Labels are for clothing. Just call me Martina.”

“The difference between involvement and commitment is like ham and eggs. The chicken is involved, the pig is committed.”

“Whoever said, ‘It’s not whether you win or lose that counts’, probably lost.”

“The mark of great sportsmen is not how good they are at their best, but how good they are at their worst.”

Speech Topics
  • What it takes to become a champion
  • Setting and achieving goals
  • Redefining ageing as a Baby Boomer
  • Healthy lifestyle and fitness
  • Overcoming adversity
  • Human rights and equality
Booking Information

Martina Navratilova News

You may also like

Nick Owen

BBC news presenter

Michelle Moore

Champion of conscious leadership

Helen Richardson-Walsh

Former Team GB Hockey Player

Sharron Davies MBE

Former competitive swimmer

Alec Stewart OBE

Most capped cricketer of all time

Shanel Drewe

Racing driver, instructor and performance driver for Mercedes Benz

Josh Patterson

TV personality and former Made in Chelsea star, now an ultra-athlete

Souleyman Bah

Paralympic gold medalist sprinter and former star of The Apprentice

Sally Gunnell

World record holder for the 400m hurdles

Dee Caffari MBE

The first woman to circumnavigate the globe, non-stop both ways round

We would love to hear from you

Enquire here

Please don't hesitate to get in touch today and one of our experienced agents will get back to you.

Contact Form [CTA]

The Speakers Agency
Browse By

Name

Browse By

Annual Events

Browse By

Category

Browse By

Topic

Proudly Supporting
Read More About Our Support

Child Bereavement UK supports families and educates professionals when a baby or child dies or is dying, or when a child is facing bereavement.

Our former Managing Director Sylvia Tidy-Harris is one of their national Ambassadors and we are proud to support this great charity.

Stay In Touch

To stay up to date with the latest news and developments at The Speakers Agency please subscribe with your email below.