How Good Was Martina Navratilova Actually?
Everybody knows that Martina Navratilova was crazy good. But only some people actually recognize that she has one of the most substantial cases to be considered the one and only GOAT of tennis.
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Navratilova is soooo underrated in my opinion : whenever a goat debate occurs people mention serena and steffi but she too definitely has more than enough reasons to put herself in the conversation.
She is the goat to me!
The issue actually is that both Navratilova and Crissy played each other so many times in the grand slam finals that they stole a lot of trophies from each other. They played eachother 80 times. Both of them have 18 grand slams individually. Can you imagine if Navratilova did not exist? Evert would have had at least 30 slams. That fact remains the same in the case if Evert did not exist. So both of them have the right to be put in the goat convo. Especially because Seleš got stabbed and that helped Graff a lot. So that hinders her goat story. Serena on the other hand was injuried a lot and had her own issues that stopped her from winning more than 23. Margareth Court is not in the debate because of the weak era she was in and because she has been very vocal about some stuff that most people seem offended by for some reason. Quite frankly she should be in the debate. Anyway, there are a lot of great woman tennis players in history and we are lucky to have seen them play. At least some of them.
People TEND to remember the MOST RECENT winner! MARTINA is the GREATEST EVER, MALE OR FEMALE to play this game! AND, let's not forget, as regards to Serena and Steffi, STEFFI won 22 SLAMS from the '87 FRENCH to the 99 FRENCH...12 YEARS, then got to Finals of '99 WIMBLEDON, before RETIRING without playing the '99 U. S. OPEN. SERENA won 23 SLAMS from '99 U.S. OPEN to the 2017 AUSTRALIAN OPEN....18 YEARS! ..and played 5 MORE YEARS (technically 4...baby). My point is, it took Serena 6 MORE YEARS than Steffi, to win ONE more slam than Steffi....HOW MANY more could Steffi have won in 6 years?...I imagine 3 or 4, but back then, MANY players retired before age 30.
@@80destryI would counter against the Margaret Court debate of GOAT because most of her grand slam wins were in Australia where most of the top women professional players were not competing. Most of her wins in Australia were not against the best women in the world, and that can be fact checked.
Not only more than enough reasons but also more overall titles than both of them combined!! lol
167 singles titles, 177 doubles titles, 59 Grand Slam titles (an Open Era record), 9 Wimbledon singles titles, an 86-1 win/loss record in 1983 and a 74 match winning streak in 1984.
and 6 straight majors 83-84... unfortunatley, the last 3 of 83 and first 3 of 84- so no calendar slam. 6 straight is a record.
@@aagold76 Yes - shame that the Australian Open was played in December in that period from the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Marion Bartoli is a better Tennis player than Martina Navratilova.
@@flash-uj6ly YOU ARE A JOKE! Marion herself would laugh at that comment!
I grew up watching her on tv, she is the reason I still watch tennis.
How good was she? Good enough to win more singles titles, doubles titles and career titles and more matches than any other player in history. Male or female. She was good enough to be top 5 in the world for 20 straight years. Good enough to win the Grand Slam in singles and doubles. Good enough to win 6 straight GS singles titles. Good enough to dominate players 20 yrs younger than herself. And good enough to carry Pam Shriver into the hall of fame. She won 584 more matches than Serena and 94 more singles titles. Martina in her prime with today’s equipment would absolutely destroy anyone on tour. Martina Navratilova is the GOAT!
LOVE this vid! So many younger tennis fans (of the last 5-10 years) really don't get how GREAT Martina (and for that record Chris Evert) were. And remember, Martina didn't start playing 4 Slams a year consistently until '81. If she had played 4 Slams a year, every year from the beginning of her career...she'd have more than 18 Slams (and she was still capable of winning GS titles in Singles in '94, as she barely lost to Conchita Martinez in the Wim Finals that year)
I seen Navratilova play live in Sydney, Australia a few times in the mid 80's, in my mind she is the GOAT
Definitely the best women player ever ! Watched her all her career.
I think you are right
It’s only younger fans who have forgotten Martina. In my mind she is one of the best ever along with Steffi and Serena. I’d probably put Chris a step behind those three but that’s more by preference as she also has great records and stats…
I agree her numbers and level of competition she played against prove plus she had the higher risk game
I watched so many of her matches. Half the reason I love watching tennis is thanks to Navratilova. Absolutely she is the GOAT. I won't deny that Stefi and Serena are also wonderful. Martina just edges them out overall to truly be the best in my book.
From a black man, Martina Navratilova is without question or doubt, THE GREATEST TENNIS PLAYER OF ALL TIME - and that's on results alone. Serena won 5 more slams than Martina, but Martina won 94 more singles titles than Serena. In doubles, Martina won more than 160 doubles tournament than Serena, more doubles tournaments and 20 more slams titles overall.... Far mor wins than any man or woman... and these were against Evert, Graf and Seles among other greats
59 grand slams in total. No one has got near that
An excellent person so much achievement people need to remember her🏆
167 titles- case closed. (Serena 73 titles- her 1st in 1999 and last in 2020- 22 seasons/21 years- Martina 73-94, same)
I grew up watching Martina and Chris battle and evolve together. Her unrivaled athleticism and supreme competitive desire kept Martina in a dominant place for many years. If Serena and Martina could play each other, I'd pick Martina to win some of the time, but Serena's power and tenacity would make it very interesting. I feel Martina would have the edge. She also weathered the never-ending youth brigade up until she'd retire.
Undoubtedly the GOAT, and the most exciting tennis player I've ever seen.
Beyond any doubt, she is the most superior tennis player of all time. Male or female.
Delighted to hear Martinas great news. Well done mn!!!!
Me too.😁
So privileged to have seen Martina play at her prime! Her matches against Chris and and Steffi during the 80s were very entertaining and helped put tennis to where it is today.
Such a wonderful video. I think these days our History on a whole has been neglected by the masses. It’s great to be in a generation who experienced ALL of these greats MJ, Martina, Romario etc. In order to improve you must know and accept the past. Thank you. Caribbean
Navratilova has serious arguments for her case as goat. She is same league as serena and steffi and not less than them.
They’re the trinity for sure. Who you put at the top is always more about preference than hard facts.
She definitely changed the game and dominated in a way that no one else has. Her combination of versatility, consistency, strength, dominance, and longevity laps the field and puts her above the rest. G.O.A.T., Martina!!
she is absolutely outatanding as an athlete and as an influencer. thanks for your video
Martina is the GOAT!
Stats don’t lie…. Singles titles: Martina: 167 Chris: 157 Steffi: 107 Serena: 73 Doubles & mixed titles: Martina: 187 Chris: 32 Serena: 25 Steffi: 11 GS Titles singles Serena: 23 Steffi: 22 Martina: 18 Chris: 18 GS Titles doubles Martina: 31 Serena: 14 Chris: 3 Steffi: 1 GS Titles Mixed Martina: 10 Serena: 2 Chris: 0 Steffi: 0 Career Slams Martina: 2 singles, 7 doubles, 1 mixed (only player in history to hold at least 1 of each) Serena: 3 singles (1 golden), 2 doubles (2 golden) Steffi: 4 singles (1 golden) Chris: 2 singles
Didn't watch. Didn't need to. Martina and Chis Everett were marvelous to watch. For the time and level of tennis then, it was a beautiful thing to watch. Sportsmanship. Style. Grace on court and off. A great friendship and rivalry between the 2. Other greats of the time deserve mention and recognition. Martina overcame a lot.
I didn't live through that period but I feel that women's tennis was the best in the 70's and 80's with the beautiful rivalry between Chris and Martina. Unfortunately, this was not repeated after that. The 1990s could have been the decade of rivalry between Steffi Graf and Monica Seles, but this rivalry ended early and shockingly with the stabbing accident of Seles in 1993. Also in the 2000s, Serena Williams could have found serious competitors in her sister Venus and the Belgians Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters, but The career of the two Belgians ended surprisingly quickly and Venus did not continue at the same level for a long time
Thanks for your comment you have summed it up beautifully..it comes back to Sportsmanship.. It's how you win and lose that makes you great.. MN needs to learn to shut up 👍
This is an awesome video with great facts, I don't believe there is another player from her era that can place their stats against people in the FedAl Djok era. I have always been a Navratilova fan and had the chance to get a pic with her at 2017 US open when she was playing doubles and saw her at the Virginia Slims of Chicago when I was a teenager at UIC. I have always felt this was true if you coupled all of her Doubles and Mixed doubles. People who remove those stats don't understand how difficult it is toilet alone win a grand slam but to win singles and doubles at a grand slam, the amount of physical ability is crazy, hence the reason even during her era there is no comparison to her and absolutely no one after her!
Greatest female player ever
She is the GOAT, but I would never describe her as "cool, calm and collected."
I think shes the best because she played the best players in really two generations of tennis, Steffi got lucky and Seles got stabbed and that was the only person who could honestly stop her, Serena had fleeting people who could beat her until she got older but they didnt last long in the Sport. Henin for a few years but her body and will gave out early. Martina had to overcome Evert, Graf, Sabatini, Mandlikova, Goolagong, Austin at different periods in the 80s I mean she never got a rest year.
Short answer - EXTREMELY Martina is one of the best
Yes the best ever...167 singles and 177 doubles...who else comes close not Steffi not Serena. 1983 an 86 -1 win loss. Stand alone records at least 37 including 59 Grand Slam Titles. Enuf said...
I've always believed Martina is the GOAT. Her record is second to none. Besides the fact of how many generations of superstars she faced to reach that record.
Steffi got 100+ weeks at #1 while Monica Seles was sidelined after being stabbed... could Steffi had gotten back to #1- yes, but holding it for all but about 15 weeks of Seles' absence. Without those weeks, Martina would still have the women's title for weeks at #1.
True. Steffi's slam and #1 stats are inflated by the stabbing, as well as having nobody of Evert's ability facing her for 5 years in the mid 90s, whereas Martina always had to get past prime Evert in the 70s and 80s. .
I think Martina is the GOAT. Had Seles not had been stabbed maybe she would have been able to claim that title. We'll never know. You're correct that she inspired training and athleticism but I think you have to include Ivan Lendl equally. I would compare her with Federer, especially as far as raw tennis skills go.
But.. My favourites Martina and Roger were not that mentally tough.. 😊
Although I’m a Monica seles fan I would agree that Martina Navratilova is the goat of women’s tennis.
Martina was a premier pusher with a masterful volley, a RARE combination of skills. She showed how far one can go without big groundies. Even with new tech racquets and strings HER Style remains the most effective for recreational players. Chip or slow softball the ball DEEP until you have a volley or overhead put away.
Ok greatest of all time i agree
Female tennis goat.... 59 Gran Slams combined in singles, doubles and mixed doubles... Most titles on in the open era in singles and doubles.... And in women tennis Gran Slams is best out of 3 Sets like every other tournament, so total number of titles matters more than in men's tennis...
Simply the GOAT
The reason I’d put her as the GOAT is because she was, a majority of the time, competing and winning in all three tournaments (singles, doubles, mix doubles) at each grand slam and winning most of them…no other player (man or woman) can say the same!
Martina was the best in her day and had a personality to go with it. I was a great fan. Now serena took over and they both did so much for tennis and drew more crowds than the men did!
Connormcdonald6044, what has Serena Williams done for women's tennis apart from bring it into disrepute with her tantrums and self importance!!!. She's a terrible sports woman and she's no role model!!!. No female tennis player can equal Martina's achievements never mind beat them!!!. She is absolutely the GOAT without question!!!.
I thought you did a nice job covering Martina Navratilova’s many accomplishments. You were off on a couple of points. Margaret Court actually has more Grand Slam titles (64) than Martina’s, but some of Court’s were before the Open Era and many were at Australian Zopens with weak fields. It’s also worth noting that Navartilova’s records were achieved despite skipping five Australian Opens and five French Opens in the 1970s. (Many non-Australian players ignored the Australian Open back then as prize money was low, travel there was expensive and they scheduled the event near Christmas, presumably to attract crowds who had time off at the holidays.) Finally, Martina is one of only three players, male or female, to win a career boxed set of Grand Slams - singles, doubles and mixed at all four Slams. Doris Hart accomplished it in the amateur era; Margaret Court did it over the two eras.
Singles Slams titles- slams weren't always the be all/end all in Tennis... Chris Evert skipped the Australian 10 times in her career and the French 7 times- and she was queen of clay! World team tennis was held during the French and most players skipped it in the late 70s because they had contracts to play wtt. Martina also skipped the French and Aussie multiple times in her career- back when the Australian was played on grass. Both Chris and Martina would probably have 3-5 more slams each if they played all of them- putting them in the 21-23 range.
Exactly. The tour year end champs were more competitive than AO and sometimes FO in those days. Martina has a record 8 YECs.
I don't know if she was the goat. At the end, who cares?! What is remarkeable in my opinion is that she has always been out of place and time. She was at the net when nobody was, she was athletic when female players were not, when tennis changed (due to rachets: and it's a lot! dribbling was not the same anymore, and she couldn't) she was still there, in the early '90, I think playing her best game, completely out of date. Maybe it's due to the fact that I saw her after her pick, but it's not a matter of goat. It's a matter of being out of time and place. That made her game poetry. Evert, Graf; Seles... The game had changed three times and she still was there. If she was more strong in mind, as you say, she would have won two grand slams and ten finals more. She was a human being, and maybe a fragile one. Playing like we will never see again. That was the sensation she gave you: we will see marvelous things on the ground, but this stuff never again. And I still think we will never see something like that anymore. Never.
Navratilova needs a PR manager like some people I know, who are constantly selling their 'brand'.... but I don't think she really cares too much about PR.
Most competitive athlete the walk on the tennis courts
Serena Williams is lauded by the mainstream media and by many tennis journalists, as the GOAT. Also, when asked, many if not pretty much all tennis pros, reply without a hesitation that Serena is the GOAT. This is in disregard to the fact that Margaret Court has won the most singles Majors in women's tennis. So, obviously the criteria is NOT who has won the most singles Majors, otherwise the consensus would have been that the GOAT should be Margaret Court but this isn't the case. I have been telling people for years that in my opinion Martina is the GOAT for the stats mentioned in this video! So, why do you think Margaret Court is so quickly dismissed as the GOAT and why is Serena so quickly places by the media as the GOAT?
Because of woke American nationist. 😂😂 If Serena happened to be blond born in some European countries then not a single American people would called her GOAT. USA media have so much influence in her GOAT debate otherwise Margaret Court, Navratilova & Graf have better records than her even Evert beat Serena in many categories.
FYI being a follower of the sports since early 80's, Margaret Court was never in the GOAT debate. Martina was pretty much the GOAT until 1995-96 when Graf won 6 out of 6 slams then Graf was considered by many as the GOAT then Serena is in the GOAT debate now.
correct ... I actually read an article that was basically bashing Maria Sharapova, being the least talented Major winner!!! And guess what ... she falls exactly into the category you are describing ... she is European and she is blond!!!! @@rajusaha855
Actually i watched a debate on the Tennis Channel and they were talking about their own rankings of female GOAT ... one of the men on the panel, who use to be a pro player and a coach actually said: "I know I'll get a lot of slack for this but since we are talking about the most Majors won, I think Court is the GOAT" ... so you are wrong ... many, many consider Court the GOAT but are afraid of the back lash they'll receive from the woke mob!!! @@rajusaha855
Yes !🙂
74 and 109 MATCHES!!! NOT GAMES!!
Definitely the goat, if you take all of her record into consideration. Not even very close in my view.
It would be nice if you could pronounce Evert right. It's Evert, not Everett.
As good as many are, I’ve always considered her to be the GOAT
Goat
Awsome video and thanks for making it : let her get the credit she deserves : many people downplay her achievements because she's gay and they don't want to admit that a gay person is better at them (or that any lgbt+ person can be a goat for that matter) but truth is : stats don't lie and or martina they can try all thy want but her achievements and her hall of fame will always speak for her.
How many people downplay because she’s gay? 100? 10,000? A million? Does not matter what people think. STATS and records don’t care about people’s feelings.
Only Player 2 Win 6 consecutive Wimbledon titles
Good video but stop saying matches are "game"s.
I put her second, only to Graf. Their battles were epic.
not one of the players you showed were in the 'new generation' that over took Martina.... Raducanu probably wasn't even born....
Martina only goat
Oh she was incredible and possibly the best, Serena in that era would have been run ragged.
She didn’t just play Evert
Martina was way better than Steffi . It was 9-9 despite Martina being old and past it 😂😂😂
Yet Martina couldn’t win the grand slam or as many weeks as number 1 as Steffi. 😅. Way better. 😂. Is she was WAY better, she would have more majors, more time at number 1, and a winning record against Steffi.
Martina was nearly 6 years younger than Djokovic is NOW when Graf beat her in the FO. Djoker has so far won 12 slams since being the same age Nav was when Steffi beat her in the 87 FO. Suggesting she was ‘past it’ when she won slams after that point, made a final in 94 and won a doubles slam at nearly 50 is just not based in reality.
Many of Martina's wins against Steffi come against her (Steffi) early years. Since 1987 it's Graf who leads Martina 8-4. Age shouldn't be factor for some players like Martina because she was a late developer while Steffi was early bloomer. BTW Martina in her 30's was good enough to beat peak Monica 7 times so in that regard Steffi perform way better than her.
@@rajusaha855 it was also well reported even at the time that Martina was dodging Steffi - particularly at clay events. So the head to head is also slightly artificial.
9:15 Conchita Martinez leads 4-1 over Martina Navratilova
They only met in Martina's dotage. Graf has a losing record to Jo Durie, it really means nothing. Martina has a winning record against every #1 from Bueno, Court, King, Evert, Crawley, Austin, to Graf, Sanchez V and Davenport in the 90s. Yes, 9-9 against Graf but 5-4 in slams and won more sets/games. Only losing h2h to Seles, 17 years her junior and they had very competitive matches.
Not better than Steffi though. But i still ranked her at no 2 above Serena.
Can’t be the GOAT without the calendar year grand slam. Can’t be the goat when another player has more time at # 1. Can’t be the goat when another player is the only player to win each major at least 4 times.
But Martina didn't benefit from her main rival being taken out in their prime, though.
You can't be the GOAT when your main competitor got out of your way (in such a brutal and shocking way in your country) after she was winning 3 Grand Slams every year, and you started winning again after that
@@ahmedisa3723 records don’t care about that. Nice try though.
@@thomasjohn6041 No, the fans of tennis and sports in general care a lot about Honorable competition, not backstabbing
@@ahmedisa3723 feelings don’t count. Try to keep up. Record books count.
She wasn’t any good
There will always be someone better than you, Just as someone new coming up will be better than Serena. That's the cycle and move on 🏆
Goat