Martina Navratilova recalled the momentous press conference in New York where she announced her life-changing decision to defect to the United States from Czechoslovakia. On the 50th anniversary of the historic move, an emotional Navratilova looked back on the “weird” circumstances surrounding the call to go public with the defection announcement.
Back in 1975, Navratilova confidentially sought political asylum in the United States after losing in the semifinals of the US Open to Chris Evert. Much to her dismay, the Washington Post newspaper broke the story the next morning, necessitating a hurried press conference.
Refusing to be overawed by the nature of the event, Navratilova famously stated in the press meet that she aimed to be the top player in the women’s game.
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"I had to do a press conference in Forest Hills, that was when I famously said I wanted to be No. 1. You don't realize you're in the middle of a maelstrom when it's your life, but then it became so public - it was weird," the 18-time Grand Slam champion recalled in a chat with Tennis Channel at the US Open.
While admitting candidly that the event wasn't her favorite moment, the tennis icon did acknowledge that it was the "most consequential" one for her and her family.
"It was not my most favorite moment, but it was the most consequential one for my life and everything that happened to me and my family. So the '75 defection, that was pretty rough," Navratilova declared.
"The immigration told us to come late so nobody would see us, so we left there at 10 o'clock at night, and the next day it was in the Washington Post that I defected," she recalled.
Martina Navratilova did subsequently go on to become the World No. 1 in 1978 and also reigned supreme at the US Open.
Recounting Martina Navratilova's notable US Open performances
After she defected to the United States from communist Czechoslovakia in the midst of the US Open in 1975, Martina Navratilova won the tournament for the first time in singles in 1983. A 6-1, 6-3 win against arch rival Chris Evert handed Navratilova her maiden singles title at the New York Major before she defeated the American yet again in the title round a year later.
Helena Sukova failed to stop Navratilova from clinching her third US Open title in 1986. The Czech player went down 6-3, 6-2 to Martina, who then defeated Steffi Graf 7-6 (4), 6-1 to win her fourth and last US Open women's singles crown in 1987.
Navratilova also lost the US Open title rounds in 1981, 1985, 1989 and 1991. Interestingly, she won the mixed doubles title at the 2006 US Open, aged 49, while partnering Bob Bryan ahead of her retirement the same year.
