Swiss tennis player Martina Hingis, born in 1980, was the top female tennis player in the world for 209 weeks (in the ’90s and ’00s).
And who is she named after?
Czech tennis player Martina Navratilova, born in 1956, who was the top female tennis player in the world for 332 weeks (in the ’70s and ’80s).
I found this little factoid in a 1994 Sports Illustrated article critical of Martina Hingis turning pro too young (at age 14):
Hingis’s mother, Melanie, a 37-year-old former top Czech player, was also in favor of the move [to turn pro], having groomed her daughter for a pro career ever since she named the child after countrywoman Navratilova. “We’ve worked 10 years for this,” Melanie said. “It’s a natural development.”
Source: Jenkins, Sally. “Proceed with Caution.” Sports Illustrated 17 Oct. 1992: 22-24.
Image: Adapted from Martina Navratilova photo by Hans van Dijk via Nationaal Archief under CC0.