News

New York, N.Y. — Martina Navratilova, one of tennis’ greatest champions, has been added to the all-star field for WTT Smash Hits presented by GEICO, the annual charity event co-hosted by Sir Elton John and Billie Jean King. Navratilova joins Andre Agassi, James Blake, Stefanie Graf and Anna Kournikova for WTT Smash Hits at 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 15, at Bender Arena on the campus of American University in Washington, D.C.

Tickets, which range from $40-$120, are currently on sale. General admission seats are $40. Reserved bleacher seats are $60, and reserved courtside seats range from $100 to $120. Order tickets through the American University online box office at aueagles.com/tickets or visit www.WTT.com/SmashHits for more information. For group sales of 10 or more tickets, call 202/552-5999.

Navratilova, a 59-time Grand Slam champion in singles, doubles and mixed doubles, will be making her 8th Smash Hits appearance. With her addition, the player field now tallies 565 tour titles in singles and doubles, including 92 Grand Slam championships and two Olympic gold medals.

Navratilova spent 156 consecutive weeks as the world’s No. 1 singles player and shares the all-time Wimbledon record of 20 titles with WTT co-founder Billie Jean King. During her storied career, the Hall of Famer won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, 31 Grand Slam women’s doubles and 10 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. Navratilova holds 167 singles titles, more than any other player, male or female and 178 doubles titles. She is also one of the most successful WTT players in League history, leading her teams to five championships during her 20 seasons.

Navratilova has continued to impress off the court as she has publicly dealt with a breast cancer diagnosis earlier this year. Navratilova continued to play tennis and commentate for Tennis Channel during her months of radiation. This December, Navratilova will also lead a group of climbers up Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise money for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation.

WTT Smash Hits has raised more than $9.6 million for the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) and various local AIDS charities since 1993. This year’s event will benefit EJAF and the Washington AIDS Partnership. The funds raised at the pre-match Smash Hits VIP Reception and Auction will be specifically targeted for local programs. The District of Columbia now suffers the highest rate of new AIDS cases in the United States and an HIV infection rate 12 times the national average.

Captained by King and John, the players will form two teams and play five sets of World TeamTennis (WTT). The music legend will also participate in a celebrity doubles match to open the event. Additional participants will be announced in the upcoming weeks.

Special VIP ticket packages, including VIP courtside seating and admission to the Smash Hits VIP Reception and Auction, will also be available for $500. John, King and all players will participate in the pre-match live auction, which will include an Elton John signed piano bench and King’s Wimbledon tickets among other items. To buy VIP ticket packages or for more information, call the Washington AIDS Partnership at 202/939-3381.

For more information on WTT Smash Hits, visit WTT.com/SmashHits.