"They weren't cheering Martina Navratilova, the Bisexual Defector... They were cheering me" - When American was turned emotional by US Open applause
Martina Navratilova once expressed her delight at how the American crowd applauded and cheered for her after her loss to Tracy Austin in the final of the 1981 US Open. That same year, she became a US citizen.
Navratilova was aiming to win her second Grand Slam of the year at the US Open, having already won the Australian Open. She kicked off her campaign by defeating Nerida Gregory, followed by victories over Anne White, JoAnne Russell, Kathryn Jordan, Anne Smith, and her arch-rival Chris Evert, setting up a final against Austin.
However, Navratilova's dreams were shattered by the home favorite, but she didn't go down without a fight, with the final scoreline reading 6-1, 6-7(4), 6-7(1). Later, during the trophy presentation ceremony, the Czech-born American was moved to tears by the heartfelt applause and cheers from the crowd.
Martina Navratilova reminisced about the experience in her 1985 autobiography, written in collaboration with New York Times sportswriter George Vecsey, saying:
"I was still crying when the announcer called my name for the runner-up trophy. But then something marvelous happened: The crowd started applauding and cheering. Their ovation lasted for more than a minute, and I stood there and finally started to cry, but I cried tears of appreciation, not sadness."
"It was really strange, not like tennis at all, but really something you expect to see in opera, where the soprano steps out of her role on the stage for a curtain call, and the crowd cheers and throws roses. That's how I felt," she added.
The 18-time Grand Slam champion continued:
"They weren't cheering Martina the Complainer, Martina the Czech, Martina the Loser, Martina the Bisexual Defector. They were cheering me. I had never felt anything like it in my life: acceptance, respect, maybe even love."
Martina Navratilova: "I was more American than Czech, even as a little kid"
In her autobiography, Martina Navratilova shared that she always felt like an American at heart, even though she was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia (then known as the Czech Republic).
"I was so stubborn, so independent, that I was more American than Czech, even as a little kid," she wrote.
"I didn't feel I belonged anywhere until I came to America for the first time when I was 16. I'm not a mystic about many things -- I tend to be pretty pragmatic about life -- but I honestly believe I was born to be American," she added.
Navratilova initially lost her Czech citizenship due to conflicts with the communist regime but regained it in 2008, becoming a dual citizen. Later in 2023, she was honored with the Silver Medal of the President of the Senate for her exceptional achievements.