Kriti Mehrotra
If there’s one thing no sports enthusiast can deny, it’s that Martina Navratilova is arguably one of the most incredible tennis athletes to have ever stepped on either a clay or a grass court. This much is even evident in her records, with her having won 167 top-level singles titles, 177 top-level doubles titles, and a total of 59 major titles for an average career win percentage of almost 85. In fact, as explored in Netflix’s ‘Chris & Martina: The Final Set,’ she and fellow player Christine Evert once dominated the sport by holding onto the #1 position for more than 14 years between them.
How Did Martina Navratilova Earn Her Money?
As the daughter and stepdaughter of either accomplished athletes, enthusiasts, or instructors, Martina Navratilova of Prague, Czechoslovakia, grew up surrounded by sports at every turn. It was thus no surprise when she picked up a tennis racket at the age of 4, only to be allowed to hit the ball off a concrete wall for the first few years before finally being allowed to play at the age of 7. Little did anyone know she would quickly prove her mettle, driven by a desire to not only be the best of the best but also escape her homeland due to communism stemming from the Russian Invasion.
Martina subsequently worked so hard that she secured the Czechoslovakian National Tennis Championship at age 15 in 1972, which she followed with her international debut a year later. She was on the United States Lawn Tennis Association Tour in 1973 and played across the globe throughout 1974, but she technically didn’t turn professional until 1975 when she turned 18. That’s also the year she was the runner-up at the Australian Open and the French Open, just to then shock the world immediately after losing the US Open semifinal by asking for asylum.
Martina defected from communist Czechoslovakia out of fear, but she admittedly underestimated the emotional impact it would have on her as she lost her home, her family, and her coach. She did get her green card within a month, as well as her official US citizenship later on in 1981, but the initial lack of a support system affected her game a lot as she lost several matches. In fact, the only thing she won in the ensuing three years was the 1976 Wimbledon Women’s Doubles Title alongside Chris Evert, with whom she had also won the 1975 French Open Doubles.
It was then that Martina realized she needed to focus on not just her tennis sessions but also her overall fitness, resulting in her comeback and her first major singles title at Wimbledon in 1978. She defended the same in 1979 before losing her streak in 1980 and 1981, yet she still managed to maintain her ranking as World #1 by dominating almost all players across the globe. She then won the Australian Open Doubles in 1980, the Australian Open Singles in 1981, the Wimbledon Doubles in 1981, and the Australian Open Doubles in 1982.
Martina continued her 1982 success with titles in the French Open Singles, French Open Doubles, Wimbledon Singles, and Wimbledon Doubles before having her best season ever the next year. In 1983, she won 98.9% of her matches, setting a historic career record of 86-1, with her only loss coming at the hands of her friend/rival Chris Evert at the French Open Singles. In other words, that year, she conquered all the other 3 major Grand Slams in both Singles and Doubles before also going to secure the WTA Tour Singles and Doubles.
Martina largely managed to maintain this streak in 1984, losing only the Australian Open Singles among the major Gra nd Slams, all the while also focusing on her public profile through sponsorships. The ensuing year was a little different for her, though, as she just won the Australian Open Singles, French Open Doubles, Wimbledon Singles, and the WTA Tour Singles as well as Doubles. She then went on to proudly secure the title of Wimbledon Singles in 1986, 1987, and 1990; Wimbledon Doubles in 1986; and French Open Doubles in 1986, 1987, and 1988. As if that’s not enough, she won the US Open Singles in 1986 and 1987; US Open Doubles in 1986, 1987, 1989, and 1990; WTA Tour Singles in 1986; and WTA Tour Doubles in 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, and 1991. The athlete even has some great statistics in Mixed Doubles, including a couple of Grand Slam wins in the 1980s, a couple of major wins in the 1990s, and then wins at the 2003 Australian Open, 2003 Wimbledon, and 2006 US Open, shortly before she officially retired from the sport.
Martina Navratilova’s Net Worth
When Martina Navratilova chose to hang up her shoes in 2006, she did so without any regrets because she had not only created a legacy but also formed some lifelong friendships. After all, apart from her 344 top-level titles, she had 59 major titles that included an astounding 18 in Singles, an all-time record 31 in women’s Doubles, and an impressive 10 in Mixed Doubles. In fact, her 9 Wimbledon Singles titles – 7 consecutive from 1982 through 1990 – from the 12 total times she reached the finals is also an all-time record. So, of course, she spent 332 weeks (6.37 years) as the World #1 Female Tennis Player and earned over $21.6 million ($21,626,089 to be precise) in prize money. As for her income from her work as an author, a 4-month stint as a coach for Agnieszka Radwańska (2014-2015), several sponsorship deals over the years, and her social media standing, she has likely bagged an amount equal to her prize money. Since then, she has sometimes even dabbled as a broadcaster/host/presenter during major global sporting events.
From what we can tell, Martina has co-authored her 1985 autobiography ‘Martina in the U.S. and Being Myself,’ a 1982 tennis instruction book titled ‘Tennis My Way,’ and 3 mystery novels. Alongside Liz Nickles, she has penned ‘The Total Zone’ in 1994, ‘Breaking Point’ in 1996, and ‘Killer Instinct’ in 1997. Then, nearly 9 years later, in 2006, she released another book, but this time it was a health/fitness book titled ‘Shape Your Self.’ We should also take into account her philanthropic work supporting animal rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and underprivileged children; her advocacy for fitness; her current role as the Health & Fitness Ambassador for AARP; and her potential assets, investments, returns, and expenses. Thus, based on our best estimate, the 69-year-old former athlete and cancer survivor with dual US and Czech Republic citizenship has a net worth in the range of $30 million.
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