- Martina Navratilova is a professional tennis player.
- She is married to The Real Housewives of Miami star Julia Lemigova.
- In Jan. 2023, Martina shared that she diagnosed with two forms of cancer, but two months later, she revealed she was ‘cancer free’.
The 18-time Grand Slam singles champion Martina Navratilova, 66, is a successful tennis player from Prague. She began playing the impressive sport with the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 50 years ago and celebrated the milestone on Dec. 28, 2022. However, when Martina is not on the court she’s often spending time with her wife, Julia Lemigova, 50. Below is everything to know about Julia and her marriage to Martina!
Martina Navratilova’s Wife, Julia Lemigova
Martina is married to The Real Housewives of Miami star Julia Lemigova. The 50-year-old was born in Moscow, Russia, but now spends her time in Miami with the pro athlete. Julia is a former beauty pageant winner, who notably served as the final Miss USSR in 1990, per Bravo. Later, the brunette beauty went on to represent the Soviet Union in the 1991 Miss Universe pageant where she placed as the second-runner up.
Following her pageant days, Julia went on to become an entrepreneur and opened up her own spa, Joiya Spa, in 2003. A few years later in 2009, the TV personality launched Russie Blanche, a skincare and beauty line. In addition, the multi-talented woman was a model from 1991 until she welcomed her first child in 2005.
Their Marriage
Julia and Martina have been married for nearly a decade, as they said their ‘I Dos’ in 2014! Julia even made history on Bravo TV as the first open LGBT member of a Real Housewives franchise when she joined the show in 2021. She is very public about her marriage to Martina, as she often posts about the 66-year-old via Instagram.
On Jan. 2, 2023, Julia took to her social media to post a selfie with her wife, along with a sweet caption. “Thank you to everyone who has reached out to share words of support. Together, we will fight this,” she wrote. The snapshot was seemingly in reference to the news that Martina had two forms of cancer, which was reported by the WTA that same day.
The tennis star was diagnosed with breast cancer, along with throat cancer. “This double whammy is serious but still fixable,” she said via a statement to the outlet. “I’m hoping for a favorable outcome. It’s going to stink for a while, but I’ll fight with all have I got.” Fortunately, in March 2023, Martina revealed she was “cancer free“. But that was not her first cancer diagnosis, as Martina was previously diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010, per the WTA.
Their Kids
Martina and Julia are not only married, but they also are devoted parents! Julia, welcomed her first child with the late businessman Édouard Stern in 1999. Sadly, their son, Maximilien Stern, died when he was still an infant, per The Daily Mail. Later, Julia welcomed two daughters Victoria, 22, and Emma, 15. The former pageant-winner told NBC News that her daughters helped her come out. “When I saw my two girls standing up to their friends and saying, ‘Yeah, we have two moms,’ and I saw them, and it’s like, ‘Oh my god. My girls came out faster than me!’ And then it was like, ‘Boom, boom.’ I never, ever looked back,” she said in Dec. 2021.