Former world number-one Martina Navratilova will make a WTA singles comeback at the age of 47, accepting an invitation to the $585 000-dollar Amelia Island clay-court event that opens on Monday.
Navratilova said on Friday that she also plans to play the following week at Charleston, South Carolina, and again in June on grass at Eastbourne, England, but has no intentions of trying for the French Open or Wimbledon.
”A lot of people are pushing me to play Wimbledon,” Navratilova said. ”I would play if it wasn’t going to be a big deal.
”Chances are I will not be playing Wimbledon but chances are I will be playing at Eastbourne.”
Navratilova said the reason she is returning to singles is to improve her doubles game. She and fellow American Lisa Raymond are set to play Fed Cup later this month and also pushing for an Athens Olympic berth.
”I want to play singles to help my doubles,” Navratilova said. ”That’s the only reason.”
While she remains active in doubles, she has not played in a WTA singles event in the United States since 1994. She owns a record 167 singles titles.
The only singles matches she has played since 1994 were at Eastbourne in 2002 as a result of a lost bet with a trainer. At 45 she beat 22nd-ranked Tatiana Panova of Russia, becoming the oldest woman to win a WTA singles match.
There are no illusions about making a glory run to a 19th Grand Slam singles title, although Navratilova hopes for the best at Amelia Island.
”I expect to play a good match,” Navratilova said. ”I expect to give it my best shot. I’ll take it week by week. I’ll probably play Amelia and Charleston. I have no plans after that. I’ll play these two and see what’s up.”
As she was asked about her expectations, doubles partner Raymond walked by and interjected: ”To win the tournament.”
Navratilova laughed, but she won at Amelia Island in 1980, 1984 and 1988.
Asked if she might be scheduled at some event to play a showcase match against a top foe such as Serena Williams, Navratilova dismissed such talk.
”I’ll have to get through the first round,” she said. ”I don’t think that’s going to happen.”
Saying she would have played at Eastbourne again last year but had an injured foot, Navratilova said a return there was likely this year if she is fit and that she tried to play singles in two events already this season.
Navratilova had tried to obtain a wild card to play singles at Tokyo in February, but the wild cards had been handed out before she asked and her mixed doubles run at the Australian Open left her no chance at qualifying.
Navratilova also said she turned down a wild-card singles entry at Key Biscayne after tournament organisers wanted her to make sponsorship appearances in exchange.
”I’m doing you a favour by playing here and you want me to go do sponsor events?” Navratilova said.
Raymond and Navratilova lost 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinals in Key Biscayne Friday to Russia’s Elena Likhovtseva and Svetlana Kuznetsova. — Sapa-AFP