After winning the mixed doubles championship Sunday for her 19th overall Wimbledon title, Martina Navratilova said there's a slim chance she might play singles next year at the All England Club.
Navratilova said her coach, Mike Estep, was so pleased with her play that he suggested she return to the singles competition."I don't think I have the nerve for it anymore," said Navratilova, who retired from singles after the 1994 season. "When the time comes, if I'm fit, who knows. I don't think so, but I'm not ruling it out."
Navratilova, who won a record nine Wimbledon singles titles, teamed with Jonathan Stark to defeat Cyril Suk and Gigi Fernandez 6-4, 6-4 in the mixed doubles final.
Navratilova needs only one more overall title to match Billie Jean King's record of 20 at Wimbledon.
Stark and Navratilova teamed for the first time at Wimbledon. Now they're planning to compete together at the U.S. Open.
Navratilova, who is president of the WTA Tour, also criticized top women players for rejecting a special ranking for Monica Seles when she returns to the tour.
"The players protect their turf more than I think the tournament promoters," Navratilova said.
"What's frustrating to me is that the players benefited the most from Monica's absence, because they won more money, they won more Grand Slams, because she wasn't around. And they're not willing to give back to her perhaps what they gained by her absence."
Seles, who hasn't played a tournament since she was stabbed more than two years ago, will start her comeback July 29 in Atlantic City, N.J., with an exhibition match against Navratilova.
Seles was ranked No. 1 when she was stabbed, but won't be ranked at all when she returns because the players rejected a proposal to make her co-No. 1 with Steffi Graf.
"And she will be playing great tennis. She was number one, she's 22 years old. The talent doesn't go anywhere. Look at me, I'm 38, I'm still going," she said.