Martina Navratilova and Julia Lemigova announce they have adopted two boys

Former tennis world number one Martina Navratilova and former model Julia Lemigova have adopted two young boys, agent Mary Greenham told the PA news agency.

Navratilova, 67, previously said in an interview with Piers Morgan in March 2023 that welcoming a new child seemed unlikely after fighting cancer.

The pair, who have been married for almost a decade, have requested privacy while they welcome the new members of their family.

Navratilova said: “We are over the moon, recognising the challenges and the rewards for everybody.”

Navratilova trophy
Martina Navratilova with the Ladies Singles Champion trophy (David Giles/PA)

The Real Housewives Of Miami star Lemigova already has one son, who died more than 20 years ago, and two daughters, also from previous relationships.

Ex-tennis champion Navratilova, who previously underwent treatment for early-stage breast cancer in 2010, announced in 2023 that she was “cancer free” after being diagnosed with throat and breast cancers.

In December of that year, Lemigova, 52, told US publication Page Six the couple had adoption plans that “were on hold”, but added they would not be “closing the door on those plans”.

Navratilova is the winner of 59 grand slam singles and doubles titles and has appeared on multiple reality TV programmes.

In 2008 she appeared on the eighth series of ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, finishing as runner-up to Joe Swash.

She later took part in the 14th season of US network ABC’s Dancing With The Stars in 2012, though she and dancing partner Tony Dovolani were the first pair to be eliminated.

More recently she appeared alongside Ben Platt and Gwyneth Paltrow in the Netflix show The Politician.