Martina Navratilova proposed to her longtime girlfriend, Julia Lemigova, at the U.S. Open on Saturday afternoon, and Lemigova said yes. The two have been a couple for more than six years. Julia Lemigova wore a pencil skirt and top as Martina–dressed in white–got down on one knee to propose.
“I have been waiting for the right time to ask Julia to marry me. I thought this was the right place and the right time to pop the question and thankfully I got a ‘yes’,” Navratilova said.
Navratilova told reporters about the proposal after the fact.
“I was very nervous. It came off, and she said yes,” she explained. “It was kind of an out-of-body experience. You’ve seen people propose at sporting events before, in movies, in real life and here it was happening to me.”
“So I was like watching myself do that. It was cool,” she added.
Martina Navratilova carried out her well thought out proposal right before she and Jana Novotna–her doubles partner–took to the court. The partners wound up winning the match against Tracy Austin and Gigi Fernandez. Maybe it had something to do with Julia Lemigova saying yes?
The proposal was even broadcast on the big screen at the U.S. Open.
Martina Navratilova @Martina proposal broadcast on big screen at #USOpen – http://t.co/OzZYoo5Mr5 pic.twitter.com/f3N56OuRyN
— LGBTQ Nation (@lgbtqnation) September 6, 2014
Martina took to Twitter following the proposal–and the match–to thank everyone for their kind wishes.
Thanks everyone for your good wishes- I am very happy, so is Julia and our whole family:)
— Martina Navratilova (@Martina) September 6, 2014
No word has yet been released as to when Martina Navratilova and Julia Lemigova will actually tie the knot.
"You just have to do what feels right…the world will catch up." –@Martina Navratilova http://t.co/BWMuBP0h6N pic.twitter.com/C6G0zks99K
— MAKERS (@MAKERSwomen) September 7, 2014
Congratulations to both Martina Navratilova and Julia Lemigova on their engagement. Fans are no doubt anxiously awaiting news as to when the two will wed.