Where Is Martina Navratilova Now? Inside the Tennis Star’s Life 20 Years After Retiring
Where Is Martina Navratilova Now? Inside the Tennis Star’s Life 20 Years After Retiring
Makena GeraFri, June 26, 2026 at 11:00 AM UTC
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Martina Navratilova at the French Open on June 9, 1984 ; Martina Navratilova on July 9, 2025, in London, EnglandCredit: Steve Powell/Allsport/Getty; Tim Clayton/Getty -
Martina Navratilova won 59 Grand Slam titles, nine Wimbledon singles championships and numerous other matches, throughout her career
The professional tennis player retired from the sport in 2006 and went on to become a commentator
Navratilova and her wife of over a decade, The Real Housewives of Miami star Julia Lemigova, are now raising a family together
Martina Navratilova is still connected to the sport that made her a household name in the late 1970s.
Navratilova defected from Czechoslovakia to the United States in 1975 at 18 years old, leaving a totalitarian regime to embrace American culture. She quickly found stardom in tennis, becoming known as one of the best players in history. The accomplished athlete holds the all-time record for any player in the sport, with 167 singles titles and 177 doubles titles, according to the Women's Tennis Association.
Though Navratilova left the competitive tennis circuit in 2006, after winning her final Grand Slam title just shy of her 50th birthday, she has remained in the public eye as a commentator for Wimbledon and other events, as well as on The Real Housewives of Miami, where she stars alongside her wife of over a decade, Julia Lemigova. The couple share two sons, whom they welcomed via adoption in 2024.
In 2022, Navratilova was diagnosed with throat and breast cancer (her second breast cancer diagnosis) and was declared cancer-free the following year. Her cancer journey, as well as her infamous rivalry with fellow tennis star Chris Evert, is documented in the Netflix documentary Chris & Martina: The Final Set, which premiered in June 2026.
"Being a tennis player, you fail all the time. You know, you may win three more points than your opponent, but you win the match, that's what matters," Navratilova told PEOPLE. "That was the same thing with cancer. You persevere. You get knocked down and you keep getting up, and that's what we did."
Away from the court, she has faced backlash for comments about transgender women competing in female sports and calling surrogacy "wrong."
Where is Martina Navratilova now? Here's everything to know about the former tennis star's life today.
Navratilova won a record number of tennis titles, including 59 Grand Slams
Martina Navratilova after defeating Chris Evert in 1982Credit: John Kelly/Getty
Navratilova is widely considered to be one of the greatest tennis players in history, as well as one of the first openly gay sports figures after coming out in the 1980s.
Over the course of her professional tennis career, she secured a record number of wins, including 59 Grand Slam titles, nine Wimbledon singles championships, 167 other singles and 177 doubles championships.
During this time, she became known for her prominent rivalry with tennis star Evert, a relationship highlighted in the 2026 documentary Chris & Martina: The Final Set.
Navratilova was named Player of the Year by the Women's Tennis Association in 1978 and 1979, and every year from 1982 to 1986, according to CNN. She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2000.
After winning her final Grand Slam title in 2006 — and becoming the oldest player to win a Grand Slam title only a month before her 50th birthday — Navratilova left the tour circuit.
She stopped playing tennis competitively in 2006, but is still connected to the sport
Though Navratilova left the professional tour circuit after her final Grand Slam win in 2006, she remains active in tennis — playing exhibition matches, serving as a commentator and attending events.
Most recently, in July 2025, Navratilova played in exhibition matches at Wimbledon. "Good to be back... 🎾," she wrote on Instagram alongside photos from the event.
Off the court, she serves as commentator for the Tennis Channel's Grand Slam coverage, and is an ambassador for the Women's Tennis Association, per her website. In addition, Navratilova is a Wimbledon commentator for the BBC and Tennis Channel.
She has also continued attending tennis-related events, including the 40th anniversary of the Miami Open in March 2025, induction celebrations at the Tennis Hall of Fame in August 2025 and a sit-down with former rival and friend Chris Evert at the U.S. Open in September 2025.
She has been married to her wife since 2014
Martina Navratilova and Julia Lemigova attend a Grammy Awards event on February 3, 2024 in Beverly Hills, CaliforniaCredit: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Navratilova first met Lemigova in 2000, but didn't start dating until they reunited at the French Open in 2008.
Navratilova proposed to Lemigova in September 2014 at the U.S. Open, a moment that was broadcasted on the jumbotron. The couple married a few months later on Dec. 15, 2014, in New York City.
In 2021, Navratilova and Lemigova made their debut on The Real Housewives of Miami as the first same-sex couple in the franchise's history. At the time, Lemigova told NBC News that they received an "overwhelming" showing of support.
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She also shared that her two adult daughters from previous relationships, Victoria and Emma, had accepted Navratilova as their second mom.
In 2024, after nearly 10 years of marriage, Navratilova and Lemigova welcomed two sons via adoption. They haven't shared their names publicly, but often post photos on social media of the family traveling, attending events and spending time together.
"She's making pancakes in the morning, taking them to school. She's so energized," Lemigova told PEOPLE in November 2024 about Navratilova's relationship with their sons. "Seeing them, waking up in the morning with their little faces and what joy it brought into our life."
She was diagnosed with throat and breast cancer in 2022
Navratilova was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010, then again in 2022.
In April 2010, Navratilova announced on Good Morning America that she had been diagnosed with an early form of breast cancer and had undergone a lumpectomy followed by radiation.
At the time, she said there was only a "very small chance of it coming back," according to ABC News.
However, at the end of 2022, Navratilova was diagnosed with stage 1 throat and breast cancer.
In an interview with The Sunday Times, Navratilova said that both cancers were in their early stages, and she was going to "fight with all I have got."
Navratilova's cancer diagnosis put her and Lemigova's adoption plans "on hold," Lemigova told PEOPLE in 2023, while Navratilova went through cancer treatment.
That March, Navratilova announced she was cancer-free, and described the difficulty of her cancer treatment.
"It really has been seven months of hell, emotionally and physically," she told Good Morning Britain in July 2023. "It's still hanging over your shoulder, no matter what. You can't get away from it."
Where is Martina Navratilova now?
Martina Navratilova during the Mixed Invitation Doubles round robin on July 9, 2025, in London, EnglandCredit: Tim Clayton/Getty
In addition to raising two sons with her wife Lemigova, Navratilova continues to be involved in tennis and women's sports, while serving as an advocate for breast cancer treatment and research, and speaking out politically.
Navratilova often plays in exhibition tennis matches, but she is most known for her work as a commentator at Wimbledon. In addition to tennis, in August 2025, Navratilova bought a minority stake in the Carolina Ascent FC women's professional soccer team, which she supports on social media and through charity work.
Navratilova has been vocal about her support for cancer research and treatment, partnering with the Breast Cancer Changemakers Auction in October 2025, and encouraging people to stay on top of their health and "pay attention to their bodies" while promoting the The Final Set documentary, highlighting her and Evert's cancer journeys.
She also made an appearance competing on Spain's version of Masked Singer as "Mop" in the spring of 2026. "This was so much light hearted fun," Navratilova captioned an Instagram post about the experience. "Thank you to all who made it possible."
In recent years, Navratilova has come under fire for comments she has made on social media. In 2019, she faced backlash for her comments about transgender athletes, specifically in an op-ed in The Sunday Times, in which she said transgender women competing in female sports was "cheating."
Later, in July 2025, she shared a now-deleted X post where she wrote that "surrogacy is just wrong." Her comment sparked backlash from the public and figures, leading Lemigova to publicly distance herself from Navratilova's views.
Navratilova has also vocally criticized President Donald Trump's administration. In December 2025, she participated in a campaign from bipartisan organization Home of the Brave and spoke about her past defecting from the totalitarian Czech Republic in 1975.
"I defected from a totalitarian regime, and like hell am I going to be cowed again, and have to be careful about what I say," she said in the campaign. "Speaking out is the patriotic thing to do. When you see something wrong, don't be afraid."
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
