It is hard to put into words why Martina Navratilova means so much to so many in the gay community. But since she’s coming to Perth’s Hyundai Hopman Cup as the guest of honour at the Topspin Club for the grand final on January 4th, now is as good a time as any to try…
Widely considered the best female tennis player in the history of the game, Martina spent 7 years as world #1 and in that time racked up a record 9 Wimbledon singles championships, 58 Grand Slam titles, 167 career singles titles, 177 career doubles titles, and 1440 singles match victories. In a sport where many are lucky to last even a few years, Navratilova was a top-ranked competitor for decades.
But for those of us in the gay community, Martina Navratilova is more than just the stats. She was an athlete who came out publicly in 1981, despite both the cultural stigma of her native country (the Czech Republic was under Communist rule that criminalised same-sex attraction) and the sporting climate in America and the West, which said (and often still does) that elite athletes simply can’t be gay. Over the course of her career, and even now in retirement, Martina was vocal in opposing discrimination against GLBT people, even going so far as filing a lawsuit in 2002 against a proposed amendment in Constitution that would have allowed for gays and lesbians to be discriminated against. For her activism, Martina was awarded a National Equality Award from the Human Rights Campaign in America.
So, for her gay fans, Martina is much more than a great tennis player. She is a role model who is as strong in her stand for gay rights as she was against her opponents on the court.
Though she retired from the professional tennis circuit in 2006, Martina has still been on tour at various tennis events, and she will come to Perth December 29 – January 4 for the Hyundai Hopman Cup. During her visit, Martina will be the guest of honour at the Topspin Club High Tea for the Hopman Cup Final on January 4th.
ENTER TO WIN!! OUTinPerth has two Hopman Cup giveaway tickets to the Final, which include champagne on arrival, silver service High Tea in the Burswood Ballroom with Martina Navratilova, VIP Parking, and of course, great seats to watch the Final. We will also be drawing five consolation double passes to sessions 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5. of the tournament. To enter the draw, click here.
