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Martina Navratilova has voiced her concern on social media for the people of Los Angeles, California. A violent fire has devastated the area, forcing thousands of people to evacuate while the fire destroys buildings and trees across California. The multiple-time Grand Slam champion shared a post about the disaster with three crying emojis.
The Palisades Fire started to burn yesterday, with the disaster quickly spreading due to the fast winds that made their way through the area. At the time of writing, the fire hasn't been contained. Multiple events around Los Angeles have been postponed due to the tragedy.
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The biggest tennis event that takes place close to the Los Angeles area is the Indian Wells tournament. The complex where tennis stars from all over the world fight for trophies every year is far from the disaster zone, but the extent of the fire continues to change quickly.
Martina Navratilova won tournaments around the area when the Virginia Slims of Los Angeles took place every year. The acclaimed player also won The Avon Championships of Los Angeles against athletes such as Tracy Austin.
Martina Navratilova's accomplishments in L.A.
Martina Navratilova's concern for the people of Los Angeles is a testament to the relationships the player built throughout her career. The last time the athlete triumphed in the glamourous city was in 1993 when she defeated Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in the finals of the Virginia Slims of Los Angeles.
That was one of the final tournaments Navratilova would win as a professional tennis player. After defeating Sánchez Vicario in Los Angeles, she won the 1994 edition of the Open Gaz de France, Paris, in the match that would give her the final singles title of her career.
Tennis in the Los Angeles area continued to evolve over the years. The BNP Paribas Open obtained its current name in 2009. The tournament has become one of the season's biggest events, with some people considering it to be the unofficial Fifth Grand Slam. The current edition of the tournament is scheduled to take place from March 3 through March 16.
