Chris Evert argues for Martina Navratilova to be given a statue at Wimbledon amid calls for Roger Federer to get his own

Chris Evert voiced her support for Martina Navratilova, her former rival and close friend, to have a statue at Wimbledon. Her remarks came in response to a fan suggesting the idea of a statue for Roger Federer, given his record-breaking eight titles at the All England Club.

Federer is the best male tennis player in Wimbledon history, having won the prestigious title eight times. His victories spanned from 2003 to 2007, with additional wins in 2009, 2012, and 2017. He also holds the record for the most consecutive singles titles in men’s singles, with five in a row.

On December 20, a user on X (formerly Twitter) shared a hypothetical image of Federer's statue and asked others whether he deserved to have one at SW19 writing:

"Does Roger Federer deserve a statue at Wimbledon?"

Evert replied to the post, proposing that Martina Navratilova should have a statue instead of Federer, as she holds the record for the most Wimbledon titles in the Open Era with nine, surpassing any player, male or female.

"What about @Martina who's won it 9 times?" the American wrote.

"If Roger Federer wins his ninth Wimbledon, wow, hats off to him to do it at this age" - Martina Navratilova

Martina Navratilova pictured at a press conference | Image Source: Getty

Roger Federer’s quest for a ninth Wimbledon title in 2018 ended in the quarterfinals, where he fell to Kevin Anderson in an intense five-set battle. His remarkable performance left Martina Navratilova in awe, as she openly expressed her admiration during a media interaction.

"Wow. Amazing. Astonishing. Ridiculous. I marvel at what Roger is doing at his age, at 36. If Roger win his ninth Wimbledon, wow, hats off to him to do it at this age. It's hard enough to win Wimbledon but to do it at his age, that would just be ridiculous," she said.

The 18-time Grand Slam champion added:

"I know how tough it is. I almost got a 10th one but it gets harder and harder as you get into your thirties. Everything was just slower for me, including the recovery from matches, and it took more effort to win matches, so I had to concentrate so much more than 10 years earlier. That took a lot out of me."

Federer ultimately couldn't match Navratilova's record as he retired before doing so in 2022, and neither could Serena Williams, who also had seven such titles and retired in the same year. The next in line is Novak Djokovic, who also has seven titles at SW19 and is still going strong with no plans to hang up his racket.