"Crowd started booing, umpire was instructed not to say my name": When Martina Navratilova was engulfed in 'sadness' on return to Czechoslovakia
Martina Navratilova spoke about returning to Czechoslovakia for a Fed Cup clash in Prague. It was the tennis great's first visit to the her country of birth since defecting to the United States in 1975.
Navratilova left Czechoslovakia for the US and became an American citizen in 1981. Five years later, she returned to the European nation for the 1986 Fed Cup quarterfinal against Italy.
Speaking to Chris Evert on YouTube in 2021, Martina Navratilova spoke about returning to Prague for the first time in 11 years and said that the crowd booed when she was announced as a "US representative" before her match against Rafaella Reggi, who initially thought she was the one being booed.
The Czech-American also said that the umpire was instructed not to call out her name.
"Before I played my first match on Centre Court, they announced, 'On my right, Rafaella Reggi, and on my left, representing the United States', and the crowd started booing, and Rafaella said 'What's going on?' She thought they were booing her, and I had to call her to the net and say, 'They just want him to say my name because the umpire was instructed not to say my name, so people are yelling,'" Martina Navratilova said.
The former World No. 1 stated that when her name was announced, people went "nuts". Navratilova added that she would love to relive the week in Prague without any "sadness".
"So, finally, he said, 'On my left, the representative of United States Martina Navratilova', and they went nuts. So, it made it actually a bigger deal than it would have been had he announced it the first time", she said.
"So, it was just so many different moments, and I am happy to share it with you and Pam (Shriver), and Zina Garrison, Marty Riessen was our coach, and we all went to our hometown. You saw the club and where I played. So, that was magic. I would love to relive that week again without the sadness," the Czech-American added.
Navratilova eventually beat Reggi 6-2, 6-4 to level the USA-Italy tie at 1-1 after Chris Evert was shocked by Sandra Cecchini. She then partnered Pam Shriver for the decisive doubles match and they beat Reggi and Laura Garrone 6-3, 6-1 to seal the United States' spot in the semifinals.
The Americans went on to win the Fed Cup in 1986 by beating Czechoslovakia 3-0 in the final, which also took place in Prague.
Martina Navratilova won three Fed Cip titles with the United States
Martina Navratilova was a part of four Fed Cup-winning teams, three of which came with the United States. She first won the tournament while representing Czechoslovakia in 1975 as a teenager. The Czechoslovakia team beat Australia 3-0 in the final, with Navratilova defeating Evonne Goolagong while also winning her doubles match partnering Renata Tomanova.
Her first Fed Cup triumph with the United States came in 1982, when they beat Germany 3-0 in the final. Navratilova beat Bettina Bunge 6-4, 6-4 before partnering Chris Evert to defeat Bunge and Claudia Kohde-Kilsch 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.
The 1986 edition of the Fed Cup was the second time the tennis great won the tournament with the United States. Martina Navratilova's last triumph in the competition came in 1989, when the defeated Spain 3-0 in the final. She faced Arantxa Sanchez Vicario and scripted a remarkable comeback to win 0-6, 6-3, 6-4 and seal victory for the United States.