Recently, Martina Navratilova was in news for closed out her competitive career on September 9 in fitting fashion: a mixed doubles championship at US Open for her 59th Grand Slam title. Navratilova teamed with Bob Bryan to beat Kueta Peschke and Martin Damm by 6-2, 6-3 before an appreciative crowd that stood and cheered throughout the final game. The mixed doubles final was played at Arthur Ashe Stadium right after Maria Sharapova beat Justine Henin-Hardenne for the women's singles title.
At this occasion, Martina said that she thought she could've played another 5 years at a top level, adding, "I'm quitting because I want to, not because I have to." Navratilova left the sport in 1994 after winning 167 singles titles. She returned for doubles in 2000, and insisted before this tournament that it would be her last.
Navratilova won 6 straight Wimbledon singles titles from 1982-87. She teamed with the likes of Billie Jean King and Chris Evert in doubles over the years. Navratilova recalled her first pro win, in singles at a tournament in Orlando in 1974.
