Players involved: Martina Navratilova and Gabriela Sabatini
- Martina Navratilova. the greatest singles, doubles and mixed doubles player who ever lived
Martina Navratilova, born in 1956 in Prague, Czechoslovakia, was, according to Billie Jean King, “the greatest singles, doubles and mixed doubles player who ever lived.” Since 1968, when the Open Era began, no player, male or female, has won more singles titles (167), doubles (177) or matches (2,189) than Navratilova. The left-handed Navratilova played a service volley unlike any woman before her. According to her rival Chris Evert, Navratilova has taken fitness to a whole new level in women’s tennis by introducing the concept of cross-training, playing other sports such as basketball, to improve her fitness. The Czech-born player won a total of 18 Grand Slam singles titles, including a record nine Wimbledon crowns, six of which were won in a row between 1982 and 1987.
By 1994, he had also won 31 Grand Slam titles in doubles and seven in mixed doubles. She only missed out on the Australian Open mixed doubles title to complete the Boxed Set Grand Slam, which means she has won all four Slams in singles, doubles and mixed doubles. She also held the record for six consecutive Grand Slam titles between Wimbledon in 1983 and the US Open in 1984. Australian Open played in December), and secured the world No. 1 spot for a then-record 332 weeks. He had already announced that 1994 would be his last year on tour, and at age 37, he became the oldest player to reach the tour. Wimbledon singles final (lost to Conchita Martinez 6-4, 3-6, 6-3). At the end of the season, she continued to occupy the 5th position in the world, and the year-end WTA Tour Championship, a tournament in which she has already appeared no less than 20 times. would be his swan song.
- Gabriela Sabatini, an Argentinian who won the US Open in 1990
Gabriela Sabatini, Argentinian, was born in 1970. Successful at a very young age, in 1985 he became the youngest player to reach the semi-finals. Roland Garroswhere he was defeated by Chris Evert (6-4, 6-1). In the years that followed, Sabatini, displaying a beautiful one-handed backhand, established herself in the top 10, reaching the semifinals at Wimbledon in 1986 (losing to Martina Navratilova), and twice more at the French Open in 1987 and 1988, each time losing to Steffi Graf. In Boca Raton in 1988, he was the first of two players to defeat Graf (2-6, 6-3, 6-1) that year, and at the US Open he finished runner-up to his German opponent (6-3, 3-6, 6-1).
Sabatini rose to world number 3 in 1989. He lost to Graf in the semi-finals at both the Australian and US Open that year, but in 1990 he eventually defeated the German (6-2, 7-6). to win his first and only US Open title. In 1991, at Wimbledon, he played his last major final (lost to none other than Graf, 6-4, 3-6, 8-6). Since then, the Argentine has remained in the top 10, reaching the semifinals of Grand Slam tournaments no less than seven times, the last of which was in 1994. US Open: (lost to Arantkha Sanchez: 6-1, 7-6).
The placeMadison Square Garden, New York
The women’s season-ending tournament, known as the Virginia Slims Championship, was originally established in 1972. Its first edition was held in Boca Raton, Florida, and the tournament moved to Los Angeles and Oakland before settling in New York in 1979. In 1994, the top 16 players in the world qualified for the championship, and unlike today, there was no round-robin format. Since 1984, this was the only tournament on the women’s tour where the final was played in a best-of-five set format. Navratilova, who has won eight times, holds the record for the most titles won in the championships.
The factsMartina Navratilova doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry at the post-match ceremony
Seeing Martina Navratilova compete at the 1994 year-end WTA Tour Championships was anything but unusual for the New York crowd. The former world No. 1 reached the finals of the tournament no less than 14 times, including 10 in a row, winning a record eight singles titles. However, even if she was still the world No. 5, she had not won at Madison Square Garden in eight years, the last time in 1986 against Steffi Graf (7-6, 6-3, 6-2).
I don’t know whether to cry or laugh.
Martina Navratilova
What made this special appearance special was that Navratilova, who was now playing under the American flag, had already announced that 1994 would be her last year on tour, meaning she would compete there for the last time.
In the first round, he met Sabatini, who was world number 9 at the time. The two players knew each other’s games quite well, as they had already faced each other 20 times, with Navratilova leading 15-5 against each other. There was no real favorite in this match, as Navratilova proved she is still competitive at the highest level by reaching the Wimbledon final in July, while Sabatini reached the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows. a couple of months ago.
Still, the Argentine took control of the match from the first few games, firing 37 winners and mixing sharp forehands with superb lobs to neutralize Navratilova’s serve-volley game. The nine-time Wimbledon champion looked powerless despite the cheers of the New York crowd and the support of her mother. Sabatini won the first set with a score of 6-4.
“It’s a career point,” said the broadcaster as the Argentinian took a 5-2 lead in the second set. After a good first serve, he hit an aggressive forehand that he followed to the net, but he didn’t have to volley. Navratilova’s career ended with a missed shot from a deflected pass.
Immediately after the match, a ceremony was held to celebrate Navratilova’s career. A six-minute tribute film was shown on a giant screen, and a commemorative banner was raised over the Madison Square Garden poles, usually reserved for hockey or basketball players. Navratilova’s longtime sponsor, Virginia Slims, gave her a Harley-Davidson motorcycle as a parting gift.
“I don’t know whether to cry or laugh,” according to Navratilova Los Angeles Times. “I walked off the court, but if I had to lose my last match, I’d probably rather lose it to Gabriela Sabatini than anybody else, because she’s a good person.”
“On the one hand, I didn’t want to beat him, on the other hand, it was a great honor to beat him,” the Argentinian said in response. “I got to know Martina off the court. I must say that he is a wonderful person.”
What next? Sabatini retires in 1996, but Navratilova returns for doubles
In 2000, Navratilova returned to the tour, limiting herself to doubles. Partnering Leander Paes in mixed doubles at the 2003 Australian Open, he would complete a Grand Slam and become the oldest Grand Slam champion of all time at age 46. In 2004, he would receive a controversial wild-card into the singles draw at Wimbledon.
Now 47, she would go on to win her first round 6-0, 6-2 against world number 102 Catalina Castano before dropping to 59th in the rankings. Gisela Dulco (3-6, 6-3, 6-3). In 2006, a few weeks before her 50th birthday, Navratilova claimed the US Open mixed doubles title with partner Bob Bryan and ended her career on a high.
Gabriela Sabatini would win the 1994 WTA Tour Championship, defeating Lindsey Davenport in the final (6-3, 6-2, 6-4). In 1995, she won her last singles title in Sydney (where she again defeated Davenport, 6-3, 6-4), and her last notable result was at the US Open, where she lost to Steffi Graf in the semifinals (6-4, 7-6). In 1996, struggling with motivation, Sabatini would play just 10 tournaments and retire at the end of the season.