Martina Navratilova recently beat cancer. Now the tennis legend and her wife are fulfilling their dream of having children
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova becomes a mother for the first time at the age of 67. Together with her wife, TV star Julia Lemigova, Navratilova is adopting two little boys, as announced by her agent Mary Greenham. The ages and names of the children are not known. “We are overjoyed and we are aware of both the challenges and the rewards for everyone,” Navratilova told the US magazine ‘Us Weekly’.
Although Lemigova brought her two daughters Victoria and Emma into the relationship, the couple had wanted to adopt more children for some time. At the beginning of 2023, however, they first had to digest a tough diagnosis: Navratilova was diagnosed with throat and breast cancer. “I hope for a positive outcome,” she said at the time. “It will be difficult for a while, but I will fight with everything I have,” the tennis icon continued.
“It has to be about the child ”
Lemigova explained on a reality show shortly after the diagnosis that the couple had put their adoption plans on hold for the time being and would focus on Navratilova’s recovery. “When you adopt a child, it has to be about the child,” she said. ”We thought we might get a call any minute to tell us we were having a baby. Instead, we’re now fighting cancer.”
The fight was successful: just a few months later, Navratilova had beaten cancer. The adoption plans were resumed – and were now even successful in a double pack.
Navratilova is one of the most successful tennis players of all time. She has won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, 31 doubles titles and 10 mixed titles. She has been in a relationship with Lemigova since 2008 and the couple have been married since 2014.
