Martina Navratilova reacts to Barbora Krejcikova's tribute to her at WTA Finals
Martina Navratilova has responded to Barbora Krejcikova's emotional tribute to her after the doubles final at the 2022 WTA Finals in Fort Worth, Texas.
Krejkicova referred to Navratilova as a "very special person" and thanked her for her ongoing support at the trophy presentation.
"I mean, for me, a very special person, Martina, that is here. I just want to thank you that you are here and that you are still supporting tennis. I'm really happy that you still love tennis," she said.
The 18-time Grand Slam champion added an emoji to show her approval of Krejcikova's comments about her.
🤜🏼🤛🏻 twitter.com/WTA/status/158…
Krejcikova remarked that she was fortunate to have a personal relationship with a legend like Navratilova.
"You give us a lot of support and I have to say that I'm really happy that I know you and was able to meet you in person and I feel I'm really lucky," she said.
Respect 🤝
Classy words from @BKrejcikova to @Martina 👏
#WTAFinals https://t.co/79698XMZM5
Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova lost to fourth seeds Veronika Kudermetova and Elise Mertens 6-2, 4-6, 11-9, which ended their hopes of clinching back-to-back titles at the WTA Finals.
"I always felt that responsibility as a role model" - Martina Navratilova on importance of setting right example for younger generation
Martina Navratilova has become an inspiration for many during her illustrious tennis career and has continued to do so even after retirement. She became a role model for women in other fields too, especially after she made her sexuality public.
Navratilova recently admitted in an interview that she has always felt responsible to set a good example for the younger generations.
"I always felt that responsibility as a role model. I always thought about the kids first," said Navratilova in a video posted on Julie Bindel's YouTube page.
She added that she took her responsibilities seriously and always made an effort to behave responsibly on the court.
"When I came out, it was also a reflection on the LGBT community. Certainly for women and lesbians more than anybody else. So I always felt that responsibility, but I always felt it, to begin with, to the kids," she continued.
"I didn't throw my racquet on the court, I didn't do anything I was embarrassed about on the court, because athletes are supposed to be role models, and I took that role seriously...I didn't really do anything that was really really bad," she added.