As women's tennis continues to rise in popularity, tennis journalist Chris Bowers has attributed some of it's rapid growth to the work done by WTA legend Martina Navratilova.
Regarded as one of the best female tennis players to ever step on a court, Navratilova has won a total of 59 Grand Slam titles, 18 singles, 31 women's doubles titles, and 10 mixed doubles titles. Furthermore, she has worked tirelessly as an advocate for equality in women's tennis, and is never shy to voice her opinion on social matters.
Hard to believe I am getting crap for saying I would not go play tennis in Saudi Arabia. From all kinds of angles. WTAF???
And this (via text) from @Martina : “I can tell you 100% if I were still playing, I would not be going [to Saudi Arabia] for the Championships.”
In a recent appearance on the ATP Tennis Radio Podcast, Bowers praised Navratilova for improving the perception of women's tennis in the 1980's. The former World No.1 set a shining example, as other athletes began to emulate her gym routine and dedication to a healthier diet.
"i think we haven't talked much about Martina Navratilova and what she did in the 80s," said Bowers. "Her focus on diet. Her focus on gym work, that took women's tennis to a different level, to the point where, at her peak in the mid-80s, there were lots of tennis fans who were saying, 'Oh, she's spoiled the game. She's made it very unfeminine.' Now you look at videos; now you go to YouTube and look at Navratilova, that to me is beautiful tennis.
"It's wonderful. She just happened to lift the professionalism of women's tennis to a new level, to a level that everybody now takes for granted. So I think we should give her acknowledgement for what she did by taking the sport somewhere that it hadn't been before and is now taken for granted."
