"If Jimmy Connors can do it at 39 I can do it at 34, I'm a spring chicken next to him" - When Martina Navratilova joked about reaching US Open 1991 SF
Martina Navratilova called herself a "spring chicken" compared to Jimmy Connors when she reached the semifinals of the 1991 US Open at the age of 34.
Navratilova, who was unable to defend her Wimbledon crown that year, entered the New York Major as the sixth seed. She booked her place in the quarterfinals with wins over Patricia Tarabini, Debbie Graham, Pam Shriver, and Manuela Maleeva.
She then faced fourth seed Arantxa Sanchez Vicario and beat her 6-7(6), 7-6(5), 6-2 to set up a semifinal clash against Steffi Graf. After the quarterfinal match, Navratilova said she believed she could win a three-set match if a 39-year-old Jimmy Connors was able to win a fixture in five sets. She was referring to Connors' fourth-round win over Aaron Krickstein at the same tournament.
The then-34-year-old also claimed that she was a "spring chicken" next to Connors.
"I just kept coming in. I saw Jimmy doing it over five sets, and I thought if he can do it, I can do it for half the time. If he can do it at 39, I can do it at 34. I'm a spring chicken next to him," Navratilova said.
Martina Navratilova eventually went on to beat Steffi Graf 7-6(2), 6-7(6), 6-4 to reach the US Open final, where she was beaten 7-6(1), 6-1 by Monica Seles. Jimmy Connors ended up reaching the semifinals in Flushing Meadows before being beaten by eventual runner-up Jim Courier.
Martina Navratilova won four US Open singles titles
Martina Navratilova won 89 out of 106 matches at the US Open, with four singles titles to her name. Her first title at the New York Major came in 1983 when she beat Chris Evert 6-1, 6-3 in the final. She successfully defended her crown by defeating her rival once again in 1984.
Her third and fourth titles at the US Open came in 1986 and 1987 when she beat Helena Sukova and Steffi Graf in the respective title clashes. Navratilova's last appearance at Flushing Meadows came in 1993, when she reached the fourth round before losing 7-5, 6-4 to Helena Sukova.
Apart from her singles triumphs, the Czech-American also won nine women's doubles titles (an Open Era record) at the US Open and three mixed doubles titles. The last of the mixed doubles title came in 2006 when she partnered Bob Bryan at the age of 49.