http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/news/story?id=1800805&partnersite=espnPARIS -- Martina Navratilova will play at the French Open, a decade after her last Grand Slam singles match.
? What is there to be afraid of? Losing? We're playing tennis; it's not like I'm getting into a ring with Mike Tyson. Then I'd be afraid. ?
? Martina Navratilova
Navratilova, 47, received a wild card for the clay-court major she last won 20 years ago, tournament spokesman Christophe Proust said Thursday.
Another past champion, Monica Seles, pulled out of the event, which would have been her first in a year.
Navratilova has said she will retire from all competitive tennis at the end of 2004. She requested the wild card Wednesday.
"What is there to be afraid of? Losing? We're playing tennis; it's not like I'm getting into a ring with Mike Tyson. Then I'd be afraid,'' Navratilova said after playing a doubles match at the Italian Open. "Tennis is not a contact sport, and I've never been afraid in my life. I'm certainly not going to start now."
Navratilova last played singles at the French Open in 1994, losing in the first round. Her last Grand Slam singles match came later that year at Wimbledon, where she made the final.
"I figured I can't do any worse than I did in '94," Navratilova said.
She won the French Open in 1982 and 1984, part of her collection of 18 major singles championships.
Also in Rome, 2002 French Open champion Serena Williams called Navratilova's return to topflight singles "amazing."
"If I could even think about playing tennis at that age, it would be great," Williams said.
The French Open starts May 24. On Wednesday, organizers announced second-ranked Kim Clijsters, runner-up in 2001 and 2003, withdrew with a left wrist injury.
Still a top doubles player, Navratilova showed she can compete in singles by playing at smaller events recently, Proust said.
"She will draw a crowd, but we didn't do it for that. She represents something huge for women's tennis. She's a genuine monument," Proust said.
Navratilova plans to play women's and mixed doubles at Roland Garros, too, saying, "We'll see how it goes. I'll be ready to play two matches in a day if I have to."
Jennifer Capriati, who won the 2001 title at Roland Garros, said playing Navratilova would be like "deja vu a little bit."
Told of Navratilova's wild-card status, Capriati said: "Good for her. I just hope that instead of some youngsters that are upcoming, they haven't shunned them away and just decided to give it to Martina. I understand her being a great champion, but you've got to make way for new players coming up, for the future. But I'm sure they took that into consideration."
Seles, meanwhile, also asked for and was given a wild card but then decided she wasn't fit, Proust said.
The nine-time major champion is recovering from a lingering left foot injury and hasn't played a competitive match since losing in the first round at the 2003 French Open.
In an interview in February, Seles said she's thought about retiring.
"It does go through my mind, because my brain wants to be out there, playing or practicing, but my body says, 'Wait! Hold on!' I have to listen to my body," Seles said then. "I'm not 18 years old anymore. Not that 30 is old, but I started so young, and my body has taken a lot of pounding."
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Awesome!! I hope the old bat makes it to the semis at least.
Topic: Martina's back! (Read 2613 times)