Martina Navratilova on Wimbledon 2008

[Matthew42188]

"Power does not play as well on the grass as it does on the other surfaces."

She's kidding, right? Like, she's trying to be funny?

[buzsub03]

MARTINA SPEAKS THE TRUTH!

[pearpeas]

“...she goes on to complement the W sisters..?" Enough said.

Infantile racism is an exaggerated classification---if my racism was “mature” would my comment holds more validity? My comment stands.........Martina is overrated. Let’s talk when she allow her testosterone to her to give a compliment.

[SmashSpencer]

@pearpeas rofl overrated. its hard to be overrated when your statistics speak for themselves. just sayin.

[pearpeas]

Bitch please. Get over Justine. What you are really saying, is that finally a player came along what could possibly challenge the sisters......



[CandyHaleLinton]

@pearpeasHave some respect for a woman who has excelled at her chosen occupation and don't call her bitch. Navratilova goes on to be very complimentary about both Serena and Venus, and it's impossible to interpret your remarks as anything other than a product of foetid infantile racism.

[rdsweet]

@CandyHaleLinton which comment was racist. which word of it? oh now i understand you are the racist.

[77alena]

Martina best player ever!!

[occywave]

Martina is incredibly sexy.

[whatever3009]

Sharapova is beyond annoying... I dont like a single thing about Sharapova.

[kljMN2]

Martina and her big mouth! I have a very hard time trying to recall a time in which Martina has ever spoken positively about Serena or Venus.

[manaseh]

Martina is skillful,intelligent and such a free spirit.I used to enjoy her games...and those were the days!

[jasoninparis]

Martina, you are so intelligent and insightful. I grew up watching you getting the better of Chris Evert. You are the best woman player ever.

[sr9266966]

I doubt that Henin would have beaten Queen Venus if she played her at Wimbledon in 08. VEnus id the Queen of grass courts PERIOD!

[TheMelancholist]

womens tennis really got a bit boring since justine henin left the tour. henin and hingis are missing cos they had a special game. the girls are really playing similar...how boring.

[AdvertChild98]

Women's tennis has been in bad shape now ever since Henin's retirement started. No single woman is talented enough to touch the Williams sisters who just show up the tour whenever they need a cheque. I really miss those competitive years when we still had Davenport, Carpriati, Williams Sisters, Justine, Clijsters and a group of young russians competing. Those golden days are long gone. Now people start losing interests in women's tennis in wimbledon.

[karrtt1234]

U get off youtube, u little piece of shit !!!!! You know nothing; so shut up! Sorry Nicklas4500, language and all, but these idiots r getting on my nerves. And idolopinions u r a huge idiot !!!

[AdvertChild98]

Never mind that psychopathic bitch. Martina has been right about the sad stage of the women's game without talent like Henin. She wiped the floor with both Williams in grand slams, now she's retired. These part-time veterans continue to dominate the game like they did during 02-03? Talk about going backward. Again it's not their faults, but overall women's game is so pathetic that I don't even mind it's cancelled. Men's game is much competitive and interesting to watch.

[Nicklas4500]

in 2007 Martina publicly acclaimed Venus Williams as one of the all-time greats: "Venus has joined the small group of women to have won a Grand Slam tournament five times but in my opinion she has been a great champion for a long time." She added: "Both players [Venus and Serena] are still very much a force and can lift their games for the big occasions - and that's what makes a champion."

[AdvertChild98]

I agreed. Martina has given them so much credit. she even suggested the Williams sisters are the one to beat in Wimbledon in this video. So i have no idea why these twats here keep whining Martina about ignoring the Williams sisters? As if the Williams sisters have to be in the centre of every conversation. Lol.

[rdsweet]

@AdvertChild98 Let's see. A discussion about women's tennis and at 5 minutes she starts to mention them in a better light. That is the problem. If anyone is awake in 2008 the williams sisters is the discussion

[AdvertChild98]

@rdsweet Martina was trying to be fair. If all she said were praising the Williams sisters only make listeners think she was just another delusional bias William groupie. Martina is not like that. Tennis has so many upsets and surprises. You can't just 100% positively certain a certain someone is the one to beat before the match even begins; because the truth might come back to hurt your credibility. Martina was careful and Williams fans are irrational.

[Nicklas4500]

Martina Navratilova won more titles than any other player in history - in fact more than any other two players combined! She has more grand slams than Venus and Serena put together (so far). I hear nothing in this interview that is remotely disrespectful to the Williams sisters. Just a lot of ignorant and hateful comments below.

[quikkguy]

well actually if you combine graf and ever's records that would surpase martina i agree that martina is great but to say that she was won more than any other two players combined is wrong

[Nicklas4500]

In singles, Navratilova won 167 titles, Evert 157 and Graf 107. In doubles Martina won 177 titles, Evert 32 and Graf 11.

So if you take Martina's total tour wins (344) that is more than Evert's and Graf's totals combined (306).

[shirgen6]

Hello, this is MARTINA NAVRATILOVA, who was greater than both Williams sisters combined. Serena is so arrogant and overstates her achievements, and always complain about playing badly when she is simply outplayed. You watch interviews of Serena after she loses to Justine in the 2007 US Open QF - just complains about playing badly. And for the record, Justine's career was half as long as the William's sisters, and yet she'd won as many grand slams as Venus, and just under Serena.

[greentwenty2]

actually serena is far greater than henin, she has 10 majors... and shes gona win wimbledon to make it 11...

[AdvertChild98]

A pathetic predictable outcome does anyone care anymore? She can keep winning as many slams as they want. However, at the end of the day we know they won only because they benefited all of their fierce rivals are gone. That hardly a credit for Serena's 11 slam victory. I think Serena can end up winning 15/6 slams considering no rivals in the tour. She won a lot of slams more than anyone, but is she the best? nah. Is she a fighter? yeah. Is she rich? sorry i don't give credits to opportunist.

[greentwenty2]

i see someone is oblivious to the fact that serena has a winning record on all those so called talents that u assume serena benefitted from when they retired... life is what it is, either you become a champion and win majors like serena or you choose to retire and it was their choice to retire not serena.. dont forget serena won all four majors when everyone was still on tour. it is people like you who fail to realise the facts which causes you degrade someone even tho the facts uplifts them.

[AdvertChild98]

It's always someone like you who tries to stir up controversy by making the williams sisters be the victims. Martina didn't discredit them in any way if you truly watch this video, she picked them as wimbledon champion. So what if they have amazing records, so do Federer who yet kept losing to Nadal and Murray. So to say Serena the best? I am sorry, but many people have different views on who the best. Martina also has her own definition which you disagree; but doen't mean she's wrong.

[vosharap]

sometimes i think that she has resentment against the Williamses because they got 20 times more famous than her, and because they haven't accomplished as much as her in Tennis, someone is JEALOUS.

[pearpeas]

That is like the most honest commentary I ever heard from Martina, unlike the fuckery comments she made about the W-sisters, but than again she likes Justine...

[HeartBreakKid1987]

What a luck that Henin retired and never won Wimbledon! Roger will win Paris next year anyway...

[Luciek69]

One of my wishes is to be coached by Martina Navratilova. I think we could have a blast.

Great interview.

Cheers

PS: IF anybody knows how to contact her, please, don't hesitate to let me know.

[Oopstoobad6275]

martina is a chronic william sister hater...she can't give credit where credit is do...the williams sisters aren't awesome simply b/c they are great atheletes...you need to be talented too---which is why the past two years venus never thanked martina at the trophy ceremony...when she got her 4th venus praised bjk for all of her efforts and she mentioned her again after winning this past july

[susceotible]

i dont think she hates the williams sister. but she just love henin so much. just like me. eventhough i know that justin is one of the best I kind of less giving credits to henin coz I love serena so much.

[Oopstoobad6275]

but she doesnt even say that they are talented...they are just "strong" and "athetlic" according to her

[susceotible]

strong and athletics is actually considered as giving credits. She is just not overwhelmed by their playing styles. venus didnt thanked martina and she praised bjk so much. but Steffi graf was also one of the audience and she didnt praised graf. btw, I hope now martina will love the williams sister more since they are so good at approaching to the net lately. she said she loves player who approaches to the net.

[suzylux]

ana is not drop dead gorgeous, lets not get carried away now. she's got thunder thighs, a lisp and speaks like she's a slightly retarded 3rd grader.

[LTown8365]

You're weird. Ana Ivanovic isn't gorgeous but Martina is sexy?? LOL! Ana Ivanovic is beautiful and has a gorgeous smile. Not to mention a dark tan that goes on for days. But Martina was right. Its funny how her predictions came true. Ana won the French Open and Williams sisters dominated Wimbledon with Venus winning the singles title and the Sisters winning the doubles title. Martina is a tennis legend and a prophet lol.

[suzylux]

martina is so hot. something about her...her slavic-ness or something. anyway, she's *sexy*

[HeartBreakKid1987]

She is ugly

[AAMLfan]

She is possibly the greatest female tennis player ever.

[Yetco14]

Serena Williams would beat her ass up in tennis.

[trent8002003]

Martina is right on in saying all the women play the same game now - power hitting from the baseline. No more serve and volleyers and precious few all courters. Everyone hits huge 2 handed backhands and a monstrous forehand. In itself not bad to watch but lacks variety and contrast. Do understand it's natrual evolution of the game. Players play to win not to look good. But still the the uniformity ain't so much fun to watch than when Martina, Monica, Steffi, Chris, and Conchita were around.

[kimbaptise]

The question at 5:44 states, "There is a perception that the Williams Sisters have a special place at Wimbledon?" Oh please! There is a perception by Martina, Laureaus, and France that seems to make them think they have a special place in the world today!

[arabafrican]

That is correct Nessie96. For example, if you watch Venus closely you will clearly notice how she uses tactics especially when she is down--including the placement of the serve and when to go to the net. Martina seems on the verge of apologizing for her past comments. This is why yesterday Venus mentioned Billie Jean King but not Martina when she accepted the trophy.

[arabafrican]

Tthat is true jblre512. I stand corrected. I apologize if I offended you and others with my comments about Martina vis a vis the Williams sisters. I read a recent article on the Wimbi Final today. Again, I admire and respect Martina very very much and meant no offense to Martina fans of which I am very much one.

[jblre512]

she said the williams sisters are the most athletic...i think that is a pretty nice complement arabafrican

[nessie96]

But she never gives them any credit for having any smarts with regard to tactics, et al. That is the gripe I have about her...yes, they are athletic, but you've got to know what you're doing out there to win as much as they have.

[ejstanton]

But she also described herself in the same way. She said they're the best athletes, but she also said that she succeeded there because she was the best athlete. I think certain things go without saying. And when you compare the Williams sisters to Henin, Mauresmo, etc., their tactics are probably the least noteworthy thing. Does she have to add at the end of every comment "And they are tacticians" in order to keep you happy? That's not how they're beating everyone.

[mssheltn1]

You are right in your assessment because many others as well as Martina (whom I have a lot of respect for) always accuse the Williams' sisters of not having variety and being baseline hitters only. Martina says this early in the clip but not directly about the Williams but everybody else except Henin.

[Wht4BlkNC]

This woman is full of crap. Svetlana...all-around player? Please.

[dbvor]

You clearly you did not see the whole clip otherwise you would have seen the part about how she helps all kinds of kids to improve in sports.

She is a great role model and with her trackrecord earned her right to have an opinion about tennis.

[arabafrican]

Of course I saw the whole clip. Like I said I used to admire her, and of course she has earned the right to inform the world about tennis. I am glad she thinks that Ana I is "drop dead gorgeous". I know she helps kids but paternalism and helping "all people" are two different things.

[EmmaChesworth]

Martina is a legend!! It is wonderful to hear an expert's veiw on women's tennis.

[arabafrican]

I use to admire Martina. It is a shame that someone who has fought for LGBT rights is so racist. She continues to insist that the Williams' sisters are all about power (i.e. primitive) rather than talented. She has a not so secret fetish for white girls who are straight but she wishes she "had." Try to be a better person Martina

[sibais]

how is it racist wat she said!!

just because she doesnt praise them how is that racist!!

people like u create the problems!!

throwing around the word racist at everything""

you almost look for it!!

get over it

[mssheltn1]

You need to learn how to read, it is not what she said that is racist but rather her actions. Racist may be too strong, so prejudice/bias fits better.

[jblre512]

that is an idiotic comment.

[greentea3456]

Good comments!

[72seeker72]

Martina ROX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ohworldgirl]

Thanks for Posting! What an informative peice and a nice farewell compliment to Justine Henin.

[snapsnap1]

Tennis has become a sport for the big and powerful.Even martina talks about reach and height of Henin.That's why she has a different game compared to marie and ana. Remember Michael Chang?

[1tennisace]

martina knows what she is talking about so therefor go martina i love you

[bobomber]

Her observations/analysis are always so insightful and accurate...no different here.