"If I see something I like, it doesn't matter if it costs $100 or $10,000" - When Martina Navratilova joked about her 'impulsive' spending habits
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova once reflected on the expensive lifestyle she led earlier in her tennis career. She admitted that she didn’t mind spending money on things she genuinely liked.
Navratilova's lifestyle took a significant turn after she defected from Czechoslovakia (now The Czech Republic) to the United States in 1975. Escaping the constraints of a communist regime, she found new freedom and opportunities in America, which allowed her to fully embrace a more luxurious and independent lifestyle.
After defecting, she bought her first proper car, a Mercedes-Benz 450 SL. Her passion for cars only expanded from there, leading her to own a Toyota Supra, BMW 733, Rolls-Royce, and various Porsches. Back then, players often received cars as prizes for winning tournaments, which they could exchange for cash—but the 18-time Grand Slam champion never chose to do so.
In a 1982 interview with Sports Illustrated, Martina Navratilova, who was then living with her close friend and former American basketball star Nancy Lieberman, discussed her love for expensive items like convertibles and watches.
The Czech-born American said that she didn’t mind spending her prize money on things she liked. However, she also mentioned that by that time, she had already started to rein in her spending habits.
"I always liked convertibles," Navratilova said. "You know that Delirium watch, the real thin one? I want the female version with the itty-bitty diamonds around it. It's sooo beautiful. And it's only $8,000. Another item no home should be without."
"I'm impulsive. If I see something I like, it doesn't matter if it costs $100 or $10,000. But I don't get that way very much...not often...not anymore. I used to spend a lot more money than I do now. This year I haven't really spent any money at all," she added.
A look into Martina Navratilova's Grand Slam wins
Martina Navratilova is one of the most accomplished tennis players in history. She won an impressive 59 Grand Slam titles—18 in singles, 31 in doubles, and 10 in mixed doubles.
Navratilova’s first singles title came at Wimbledon in 1978, a tournament she would go on to win eight more times in 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, and 1990. She claimed four US Open titles in 1983, 1984, 1986, and 1987. Besides that, she secured three Australian Open titles in 1981, 1983, and 1985, and two French Open titles in 1982 and 1984.
The Czech-born American secured nine US Open titles in doubles, along with eight at the Australian Open, and seven each at the French Open and Wimbledon. In mixed doubles, she won the Grasscourt Major four times, the New York Slam three times, the Claycourt Major twice, and the Melbourne Slam once.