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- @
- The most
- successful player
- in the history of
- women's tennis,
- Navratilova's
- reign lasted for
- nearly a quarter
- of a century.
- During her career
- she won a record
- 167 singles
- titles, including
- 18 Grand Slam
- singles victories
- to become the
- richest ever
- woman in tennis
- #
- Navratilova first
- came to attention
- when, as an
- unknown 18-year-
- old, she beat
- Evonne Goolagong
- in the final of the
- team Federation
- Cup in 1975. Her
- stamina and
- powerful tech-
- nique became
- the key to
- her success
- #
- Navratilova won
- 9 singles titles
- at Wimbledon
- between 1978
- and 1990, beating
- her friend and
- rival, the
- American Chris
- Evert, on five
- occasions. In all,
- Navratilova won
- 55 Grand-Slam
- titles, 18 were
- singles, 31
- doubles and six
- were mixed
- doubles victories
- #
- Navratilova
- worked even
- harder to win the
- affection of the
- public than she
- did to win her
- matches. Her
- powerful, almost
- robotic style of
- play was
- disappointing to
- many fans, but
- off-court she
- earned respect
- for her unfailing
- honesty and her
- refusal to be
- changed by
- wealth and
- success
- #
- Navratilova's
- life in tennis is
- more than just a
- sporting success
- story. She is
- inspiring because
- of the battles she
- has had to fight:
- not just the grand
- on-court clashes,
- but the personal
- onslaughts, the
- emotional strife,
- and the struggle
- with her own
- inner demons.
- From all these
- she has emerged
- victorious
- @
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