With her 59 Grand Slam titles (including a record nine Wimbledon singles championships), her remarkable longevity as a professional and her trail-blazing approach in finding ‘marginal gains,’ Martina Navratilova is arguably the greatest tennis player of all time. What advice does she give young women aiming for success in any field, sport, business or life in general?
“Do it your way. Don’t listen when people say ‘no’. Surround yourself with people who support you.”
Navratilova was speaking to Judy Murray at a discussion for members and friends of the Right To Play Women’s Network - designed to embrace and celebrate the empowerment of women and girls.
Their relaxed and fascinating Q and A session emphasised the educational power of sport and play, and how the example of ‘opportunity’ and ‘potential’, spotted and developed in the context of tennis, can help champion the cause of millions of disadvantaged girls and women who can’t speak up for themselves.
Billie Jean King’s campaign for women was an inspiration
Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova is a passionate Athlete Ambassador for Right To Play, a global organisation for girls and boys with a presence in 40 countries, as is the retired former world No.2 Li Na.
As a visual entree to the breakfast discussion, co-chair Leslie McCormack-Gathy produced a basket of fresh celery, mangos and black bananas, recalling the time in the 1980s when she oversaw travel logistics for IMG players and was bemused to be told that this very particular nutritional package must always be available for Navratilova. It was not a diva-ish demand, she was quick to point out, but an illustration of the exacting measures Navratilova took as the first player to embrace the importance of diet and fitness.
I loved the nitty gritty in working out how to beat an opponent
Navratilova’s remarkable life story is a source of inspiration for young girls. As well as citing the importance of family influence - she inherited athletic DNA courtesy of her tennis-playing parents, and a grandmother who was a nationally ranked player in Czechoslovakia - she expressed her fortune in having Billie Jean King as an incredible role model at a time when most PE teachers were men.
“The first sense of failure for most kids comes through PE, so girls start coming up with excuses. They start having a period every week because they don’t want to fail. But Billie Jean King’s campaign for women was an inspiration.”
Murray, speaking with insight as British Fed Cup captain and the founder of the Miss-Hits junior tennis programme, agreed that girls need more female encouragement at a young age to grow in sport. She revealed that in the UK, the ratio of boys to girls coming in to tennis is 4 to 1.
“It’s all about increasing the participation of girls and of women to deliver the programme," she said.
“The first thing I noticed on the women’s tour is that it is very dominated by male coaches. You have to be very emotionally stable to perform at your best. Girls tend to travel with a coach who is also their hitting partner. They have the same routine, day in, day out. They’re in a little bubble of security. But there’s a big difference between learning to hit the ball and learning to play the game. You need to engage your brain.”
The prevailing attitude both mused on was why it is okay for men to coach women but not for women to coach men – though here it was the Murray family who could claim some trail-blazing as Andy of course has Amelie Mauresmo in his corner.
Murray asked Navratilova the secret of her sustained success. She was ranked world No.1 for 332 weeks - longer than Roger Federer, Steffi Graf or Serena Williams.
“I was always focused and driven. I always wanted to be a better player,” she said. “Billie Jean King said she’d never seen a ball come over the net the same way. For me, there is always something to learn. I kept working at my game.
"I had an ability to adjust, adapt, change, evolve. At the age of 33, I had to change my footwork because the way the game was played had changed. I worked on fitness, flexibility, strength, tactics, diet, anything to get an edge. That came from me. I was never pushed. I loved the nitty gritty in working out how to beat an opponent. I loved playing all the No.1s: Chris Evert, Evonne Goolagong, Margaret Court, Billie Jean King, Steffi Graf.”
That attitude is best exemplified in the epic rivalry with Chris Evert. From November 1975 to August 1987, one of the two held the top spot in the world rankings in all but 23 weeks. They played 80 matches, including 61 tournament finals, and emerged friends.
“We went through the same things. We had respect for each other," Navratilova said.
"We had ups and downs, tension, and we were never happy at the same time. But we kept it human. We’d leave each other notes after the match in the locker room. We were both introverts who never wanted the spotlight, but sport can empower girls through feeling good about achieving. Sport gives life lessons across the board. Tennis is the biggest democracy.”
For further information: www.righttoplay.org.uk
