"I'm sorry my mother had to live under that, I feel fury at this bloody system" - When Martina Navratilova spoke about her dislike of the Czech regime
Martina Navratilova once expressed her dislike for the political regime in Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic). She was born in Prague to her mother Jana, and later moved to Revnice.
Navratilova fled Czechoslovakia in 1975 due to the political and social repression under the communist regime. Her decision was fueled by being denied the right to compete in professional tennis in the US, where most important tournaments were held.
After defecting, Navratilova was stripped of her Czechoslovakian citizenship and gained US citizenship in 1981. This came at a significant personal cost, as her family was not allowed to visit her for four years, as doing so would have led to her detention.
However, her mother was able to travel to the UK to watch her win the 1979 Wimbledon Championships after being granted a visa, thanks to a plea from the Duchess of Kent. This came a year after Navratilova won her first Grand Slam at SW19. Despite that, it would still be several months before she was reunited with her entire family.
Martina Navratilova gave an interview to The Guardian after returning to the East to play in the Fed Cup (now the Billie Jean King Cup), representing the US. She lamented how her mother's generation was "denied so much" under communism and expressed anger at the system for "ruining so many lives for no reason whatsoever."
"I still feel it today when I look at my mother and her friends," the Czech-born American said. "It's the same for anyone there in their 60s or 70s or 80s. They were denied so much. I am just sorry my own mother had to live under that regime for most of her life."
"I was lucky. I got out and, 14 years later, Czechoslovakia became a free country. So I feel anger, even fury, at this bloody system that ruined so many people's lives for no reason whatsoever," she added.
Martina Navratilova: "Everything is different now, but we can't forget everything my mother's generation went through"
Czechoslovakia was established in 1918 after World War I. In 1992, it dissolved into two separate countries, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, in an event known as the Velvet Divorce.
In her interview with The Guardian, Martina Navratilova reflected that while life improved after the dissolution and her mother Jana experienced a better standard of living, she couldn’t forget the hardships and missed opportunities her generation faced under communist rule.
The 18-time Grand Slam champion also mentioned that moving to America gave her freedom and endless opportunities that were missing in her hometown.
"Everything is different now," Navratilova said. "Even though she still lives in my home town, my mother has a much better life. She gets to travel a lot because I'm in America while my sister lives in Sweden."
"But we can't forget everything her generation went through. She never had my opportunities. When I reached America there was so much space and colour. The possibilities seemed endless," she added.
Martina Navratilova regained her Czech nationality in 2008, becoming a dual citizen. Later, in 2023, she was honored with the Silver Medal of the President of the Senate in Prague for her exceptional achievements.