MARTINA Navratilova - winner of 59 grand slam titles - is coming to Adelaide and she won't just be playing tennis.
The Sunday Mail can reveal Navratilova, as well as Swiss legend Martina Hingis, will be the first women to compete in the World Tennis Challenge when they take to the court at Memorial Drive from January 8-10.
They join legends Pat Cash, Mats Wilander, Yannick Noah and Henri Leconte for the three-day event.
While she's here, Navratilova said she would take the chance to push one of her pet issues - the legalisation of gay marriage.
"I am always involved in that debate - when is that going to be decided?" she said on the phone from Paris this week.
"That (the debate) was going on when I was at the Australian Open in January. I don't know what they are waiting for. It's just a matter of time."
While the format for the event is yet to be finalised, Navratilova, 56, will be playing against and with Hingis, and the pair will also compete in mixed doubles.
So, can she beat the 32-year-old Hingis, the winner of five grand slam singles titles and one of the most graceful players of all time?
"At singles, absolutely not," Navratilova admitted. "She's got 20 years on me, I don't think so. "I have played a bit against her (Hingis) and I love it.
"I played singles with her in Liverpool last year on grass - mostly it's been doubles or mixed doubles. It's great to be on the court with Martina."
WTC co-director Mark Woodforde said he was "ecstatic" Navratilova and Hingis had signed on.
"We've been discussing adding women for a year now," he said.
"We don't want the product to become worn out. We want to stay one step ahead."
Woodforde said tournament directors drew up a hit-list of women's tennis legends last year that included Navratilova, Hingis, Steffi Graf, Chris Evert, Monica Seles, Lindsay Davenport and others.
But after seeing the interest John McEnroe generated among older fans at this year's event, Navratilova was always at the top.
Woodforde first mentioned the tournament to the Czech-born great at last year's Australian Open and eventually got her on board.
He wants to sign four female players for the 2014 event.
The State Government recently extended its sponsorship of the event for three years and Tourism Minister Gail Gago said signing the two Martina's was a coup.
"Martina Navratilova and Martina Hingis are true stars of the game and I know thousands of fans will join us in welcoming them to South Australia," she said.
For the past four years, Navratilova has lived in Paris with her partner, 41-year-old Russian former beauty queen Julia Lemigova.
The relationship has given Navratilova, who came out as a lesbian in 1981, an "instant family".
"My girlfriend has two kids, so now I have two kids, too," she said. I didn't have to give birth, so that's good."
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