Martina Navratilova

"Nobody, ever, has had such a glittering trove of numbers," Collins wrote. Yet Navratilova was about far more than just numbers. "Through all her transformations-of body, hair, clothes, glasses, nationalities, coaches, loversthe one thing, ever the same, ever distinct, is her voice, which is pitched to shatter a champagne flute," Deford said. "It brought forth sounds of decency and forthrightness, leavened with wit and compassion. Tennis was very blessed to have such a voice for so long, for these times."

Navratilova, who still competes in Grand Slam doubles, drew a crowd of admirers at the 2002 U.S. Open in New York, many of whom referred to her as "Granny." "I don't think 45 is an age," she said. "It's just a number."

Saying that no rule says "grannies" can't win tennis matches, Navratilova then added, "You know, people have been putting limitations on me for a long time. First I was too young, then I was too old. It was a very short period of time that I was just right … You can't go based on what anyone else says. If I did that, I would never have left Czechoslovakia and you would have never heard of me."