Tennis/Wimbledon Championships: The sun was going down on Centre Court yesterday evening but the remarkable record of Martina Navratilova continued to shine when she reached yet another milestone at Wimbledon.
Belying her years, Navratilova (46) equalled Billie Jean King's record of 20 Wimbledon titles by winning the mixed doubles final with India's Leander Paes.
Navratilova won her first title at the All England club 27 years ago with her friend and playing partner Chris Evert in 1976, and came out of retirement in 2000 after a spectacular career, specifically to chase King's record.
"I'm going to take some grass home with me," she said after the match. "I did that in 1994. I feel like Federer - I can't talk, I can't think. It's just fantastic. I'll be back next year even if I'm not playing."
A naturalised American, Navratilova finally reached her landmark with Paes when they defeated Israel's Andy Ram and Russia's Anastassia Rodionova 6-3, 6-3 in front of an appreciative crowd. Realising that the record was a possibility, many remained after the men's final to witness the triumph. Now aged 46 years and 262 days, she also broke her record of becoming the oldest champion at one of the four major events.
With Paes she also won the mixed doubles at the Australian Open in January, her 58th Grand Slam title.
An eight-time winner of the singles title at The All England Club, Navratilova earned her 19th Wimbledon trophy with Jonathan Stark eight years ago.
"I don't know what I'll be doing next year. I really don't," said Navratilova. "I'll see what the end of the year brings and I'll listen to my heart. It would be a shame not to defend a title, but I never expected to have to do that.
"This isn't about records. I just believe that age should not be a barrier. People should not do things just because of age. Billy Jean's record never entered my mind. Honest, it had nothing to do with it. I actually met her before the match and she said good luck. I believe she meant it."
Navratilova also has seven women's doubles and four mixed doubles successes to her name as well as three novels, which she co-wrote: The Total Zone (1995), Breaking Point (1996) and Killer Instinct (1998).
