Martina Navratilova Prepares To Be "The Oldest Rookie"
by Christopher Gerby


In the face of a fair bit of carping from the press and fellow players, 47-year-old Martina Navratilova recently defied the odds by winning a singles match at her sport's most prestigious event, Wimbledon. "It was about proving to myself that I can still play the game," says Navratilova. As a winner of 58 Grand Slam titles, she has little left to prove, but nevertheless will embark on a busy summer schedule. She discussed her plans for the near future and beyond in a July 14th conference call promoting her return to World Team Tennis.

Navratilova will suit up six times this month as a member of the New York Buzz, with five road appearances sandwiched around a July 21st home match against the Hartford FoxForce. Her relationship with World Team Tennis dates back to its 1970s heyday. In fact, she was surprised to learn that 2004 will mark only her 16th season in the league. "I like it enough to keep coming back for more because tennis is such an individual sport and it's just nice to be on a team and to look over at the bench and talk to my teammates and coach on the changeovers. I like this concept and wish we had more of it." This time around, some of those teammates will be unfamiliar. "The guys (Justin Bower and Shaun Rudman) I don't know at all. Viktoriya (Kutuzova) I've spoken to a few times. Bryanne (Stewart) I've played doubles against three times this year."

Following her stint in WTT, Navratilova will play tournaments in San Diego and Stockholm, followed by the Olympic Games in Athens. After accomplishing virtually everything there is to accomplish in tennis, Navratilova says "there won't be anything missing" once she's played in the Olympics for the first time. "It will be a new experience, but I always look forward to new experiences. I've only been to Greece once, so I'm looking forward to experiencing Athens and walking around and feeling the history there. As far as being a part of the Olympics, I'll probably be the oldest rookie out there, but that's OK with me. I'm looking forward to it." Martina dismisses fears of a major terrorist attack at the Games, reasoning that "the big guys" are more likely to make a move when it's less expected.

Navratilova has said all along that 2004 would be her final season on the WTA Tour, but leaves herself a little bit of wiggle room when asked about it now. "I'm planning on this being the last year, unless something happens which would make me play next year. That is the plan, for this to be the last year. The travel is not getting any easier with all the rules and regulations and flying around, so it doesn't make it very pleasant." Martina remained active in World Team Tennis during her previous retirement, though, and figures that could be the case again. "As far as Team Tennis, who knows? It's always been a good way for me to stay in shape. If I'm in decent shape, I'm sure I will play. I wouldn't rule it out, nor would I rule it in. We'll just have to see how I feel when the time comes."

Even if this is Navratilova's final year playing competitive tennis, she'll have no shortage of projects to keep herself occupied. An autobiography chronicling the past 20 years of her life and career is in the works, to be followed by a book about health and fitness. Navratilova also hopes to start her own tennis academy, with the intention of molding all-court champions like Roger Federer and Justine Henin-Hardenne. "I would like to see more artists out there. You have to develop that from an early age -- you don't learn how to play the game at 25. I don't see anybody really teaching the strategy of how to play points. I don't see the kids coming out with an all-around game of tennis as well as thinking of how to play the game. You don't see that much strategy, so I'm thinking about opening an academy that would be all encompassing to create the best possible tennis player that can be."

Martina Navratilova clearly has an eye on the future, while striving to make the most of the present. "I'm hitting that peak where I'm playing as well as I can," she says of her current form. The one thing she would rather not do is dwell on the past, particularly when it comes to ranking herself among the game's all-time greats. "The people that are in it don't compare themselves to other people that are in it." For the time being, Navratilova is still very much in it.