Martina Navratilova & Chris Evert show their support for Boris Becker after German laments erasure of yesteryear legends from record books

Martina Navratilova, the 18-time Major singles champion, has joined Boris Becker in questioning Tennis TV's list of youngest ATP finalists. The broadcaster published the list on social media but limited it to players from 2000 onwards. As a result, some pre-2000 players demanded that they should have been included.

The list was published in response to Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca's Argentina Open success. The 18-year-old took home his first ATP tour title after defeating fifth-seed Francisco Cerundolo 6-4, 7-6(1) in the final. Consequently, Fonseca was in tenth place on the list, Rafael Nadal in first, having won his first tour title in Mallorca at the age of 15.

Chief among the critics was Boris Becker, the six-times Major singles champion, who plied his trade in the 1980s and 1990s, retiring one year before the list's cut-off. Becker took to his X account to ask:

"So before the year 2000 we didn't play tennis?"

Two icons of the women's game, Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert, weighed in on the matter. Navratilova answered:

"Apparently not"

Meanwhile, Chris Evert, Navratilova's bitter rival throughout the 1970s and 1980s, provided her take on the controversy, stating on X:

"We did the best with the information, technology (wood rackets!) training that was out there. We were champions in our era. Enough said!!!"

It's not surprising that Martina Navratilova has come out supporting Becker's view. The two were contemporaries on the tennis circuit, operating at the top of the game. Navratilova won 18 Major singles titles between 1978 and 1990, while the German ace's Grand Slams were spread from 1985 to 1996.

Martina Navratilova and Boris Becker were teenage prodigies when they won their first titles

Martina Navratilova and Boris Becker Press Conference - Laureus World Sports Awards Madrid 2024 - Source: Getty

Czech-born Martina Navratilova's contribution to the women's game is well-documented - a World No. 1 for 332 weeks, with 167 singles titles and 177 doubles titles, both of which remain Open Era records. In total, Navratilova won an astonishing 59 Major titles in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles.

Both were teenage prodigies, making it obvious that they were offended by their omission from Tennis TV's list. Navratilova won her first WTA title in Orlando, Florida at the tender age of 17, while Becker famously erupted onto the tennis scene at the age of 17 in 1985.

That year, Becker won the Queen's Club Championships at Eastbourne at just 17 years and 207 days old, and just 20 days later took home the Wimbledon title. He remains the second youngest man to win a Major after Michael Chang took his record at just 17 years and 110 days when he won the French Open in 1989.