"What a joke, Really?" - Martina Navratilova expresses displeasure at Maria Sharapova's inclusion in Best Player of all time poll
Maria Sharapova is considered by many to be one of the best players in the history of the sport. However, it has recently become clear that tennis legend Martina Navratilova doesn't think that way.
Sharapova announced her retirement in February 2020, just after the conclusion of the Australian Open. Having won five Grand Slam tournaments during her career, the Russian is one of just 10 women ever to have completed the Career Slam.
Approximately two years into retirement Sharapova became a mother, giving birth to her son Theodore with fiance Alexander Gilkes.
Even after retirement, her accomplishments continue to make headlines, as evidenced by a recent poll posted on X (formerly Twitter) by the World of Statistics. The users were asked to vote for the best female tennis player of all time from a list that featured Serena Williams, Steffi Graf, Maria Sharapova, and Martina Navratilova.
Martina Navratilova herself took to social media to comment on the post, saying she thought it was a joke to include Maria Sharapova among such legends of the game.
"What a joke- I mean Maria? Really? Don’t even bother voting," the 18-time Grand Slam champion wrote.
The other women on the list have more than thrice the number of Slams as Sharapova - Navratilova has 18, Graf has 22, and Serena 23. Moreover, the list left out the likes of Chris Evert (18 Slams), Monica Seles (nine Slams) and Billie Jean King (12 Slams).
Looking back at Maria Sharapova's career
Maria Sharapova was a force to be reckoned with for more than a decade in women's tennis. She began playing competitive tennis at the age of 14 and achieved the World No. 1 ranking on five different occasions. She is also the only Russian player to have achieved the Career Grand Slam.
Sharapova won her maiden Grand Slam singles title at the 2004 Wimbledon Championships. She beat defending champion Serena Williams in straight sets (6-1, 6-4) to break into the top 10 for the first time.
With her victory at the 2012 French Open, Sharapova became the 10th woman to complete the Career Grand Slam. She was also the first Russian woman to reach the top spot in the world rankings, which she did on August 22, 2005.
The 36-year-old is also an Olympic medallist, having won silver in the women's singles at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Sharapova won 36 singles titles, including five Grand Slam titles (two at Roland Garros and one each at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open), during her illustrious career.