At 46, Navratilova can still hit aces on court and off

‘‘Chickens,’’ Navratilova said Wednesday, rolling her eyes in mock disgust.

But you didn’t really think Navratilova had changed after all these years, did you? Navratilova, now 46, is nine years removed from her 1994 retirement as a singles player. She’s four years into a doubles comeback that started on a whim, slowly crescendoed, and climaxed this year with Navratilova and Leander Paes winning at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.

As Navratilova keeps remarking when people express their astonishment: ‘‘The ball doesn’t know how old I am.’’ Neither, it seems, does Navratilova. She still looks as fit as she did 15 years ago. She’s still as sharp, exuberant, feisty, curious, opinionated and funny as ever, too.

As good as Navratilova’s tennis remains, it’s her mind that makes her unique. She still has that brain that works like a radar dish, pulling in tons of disparate information, and spitting out the sort of comments that make you think, laugh, nod in agreement, or bolt forward in your chair and say, ‘‘Now, wait a minute…’’

Navratilova always said what she thinks, chased what she wanted. But the difference now is, after years of walking into countless stadiums or press rooms unsure of what her reception might be, one unanticipated benefit of sticking around this long is Navratilova finally gets to feel the appreciation. Today, fans sprint across the grounds when it’s announced that one of Navratilova’s matches have been moved to a new court.

Television commentator Vijay Armitraj asked Navratilova how she feels among the younger players in the locker room. ‘‘Well,’’ Navratilova said, ‘‘one player in the junior draw here, I played against her mother.’’

And sure enough, here it came — another droll roll of her eyes. ‘‘Her mother,’’ Navratilova repeated, sounding 46 at last. (LA Times-Washington Post)