Navratilova, who is openly gay, said it was vital for sports stars to speak out.
Novak Djokovic will begin his Australian Open title defence against Frenchman Jeremy Chardy, while reigning women's champion Sofia Kenin meets wild card Maddison Inglis, following the draw for the year's first Grand Slam on Friday.
This year's Australian Open will be allowed to admit up to 30,000 fans a day, around 50% of usual capacity, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Former India skipper Virat Kohli, four-time grand slam winner Naomi Osaka of Japan and decorated gymnast Simon Biles of the USA, are some of the star athletes who have been candid about their struggles with mental health.
Serena Williams' behaviour in Saturday's US Open final divided the tennis world after she called the chair umpire a "liar" and a "thief" and said he treated her differently than male players during her loss to Naomi Osaka.
Italy's Matteo Arnaldi produced a sensational performance to take out sixth seed Andrey Rublev and reach the last 16 of the French Open on Friday.
The Australian fell to the floor in celebration after clinching the victory, before sticking a finger behind his ear and asking the raucous crowd to cheer louder.
Images from Day 6 of the French Open in Paris on Friday.
American tennis player Taylor Fritz and his doubles partner, Tik Tok personality Addison Rae, won the virtual Stay At Home Slam on Sunday as real-life tennis remains on hold because of the coronavirus crisis. The likes of the Williams sisters, Japanese stars Naomi Osaka and Kei Nishikori and the recently retired Maria Sharapova competed as their favourite characters from the world of Nintendo to raise money for charity.
Images from Day 2 of the 2024 French Open at Roland Garros in Paris on Monday.
Some of the biggest surprises so far from the Tokyo Games.
We spotted some celebs from the world of Hollywood, cricket and comedy enjoying some tennis action and here we give a glimpse of them...
Aryna Sabalenka expressed more concern over the vaccine than her quarterfinal opponent No 1 Ash Barty
Photos from French Open matches played at the Roland Garros on Friday
The 15-year-old American phenom was forced to dig deep to become the youngest player since Anna Kournikova in 1996 to reach the third round
Romania's Italian Open winner Simona Halep, Spain's Garbine Muguruza and US Open semi-final foe Victoria Azarenka of Belarus present a major challenge for Serena Williams at the upcoming French Open.
Homeland favorite Ashleigh Barty and Serbia's Novak Djokovic are the top seeds for the upcoming Australian Open.
Victoria Azarenka's return to the top has been a long road full of setbacks and challenges but she knuckled down, swallowed her ego and now finds herself back in a Grand Slam final after a seven-year absence.
'I do stand unified with them, trying to do what I can over here'
Images from Sunday's action at the Australian Open.
Holger Rune rallied from a set down and saved a match point to defeat former champion Taylor Fritz 2-6 7-6(2) 6-3 on Wednesday and reach the Indian Wells quarter-finals where he will meet fourth seed Daniil Medvedev.
The Canadian's win sets up a semi-final clash with Del Potro on Saturday that will pit power against power.
India's number one singles player Prajnesh Gunneswaran beat Jay Clarke of Great Britain in straight sets to enter the main draw of the Miami Open, on Wednesday.
A summary of Thursday's play at the French Open.
IMAGES from the Women's Singles Final of the French Open at Roland Garros in Paris on Saturday.
Opportunity knocks for Serena Williams on the grass courts of Wimbledon next week when she faces a diminished field on her best surface at the famous All England Club.
The ATP and WTA last week took away ranking points from Wimbledon following the organisers' decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players
Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki continued her resurgence at the U.S. Open with a commanding 6-3 6-1 win over Romania's Monica Niculescu on Friday to reach the fourth round. The Dane, a U.S. Open finalist in 2009 and 2014 but unseeded this year after being sidelined for two months by an ankle injury, dominated from the start and wrapped up victory in just under an hour and a half. Niculescu, ranked 16 places above Wozniacki in the rankings at 58th, made life tough early on, particularly with her sliced forehand which is a rarity on the WTA Tour.
Tennis fans expressed frustration that the players weren't getting better crowds.
The news comes after Sharapova, who said the decision to end their four-year partnership was "mutually agreed", was beaten by 44th-ranked Naomi Osaka in the first round of the BNP Paribas Open in California on Wednesday.
'I hope that as an association we make the best decision for our business, for our health, for the tournaments, for public.'
'We love our sport but it puts everything into perspective'
On a day when top seed Sloane Stephens survived a scare before beating Ajla Tomljanovic 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, Sakkari showcased supreme court coverage skills throughout her almost two-hour match against Bertens.
Images from Day 4 of the 2024 Australian Open in Melbourne on Wednesday.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Saturday
"(Novak) has said that he views this as a private matter for him. We would love to see Novak here, he knows that he'll have to be vaccinated to play here."
To the clear delight of the fans, however, Djokovic then bounded onto the court after his practice partner had won the first set and proceeded to wrap up a 6-3, 6-3 win over the Italian teenager.
Pole says she feels much better prepared to handle the pressure of her latest career milestone.
Images from Day 8 of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Monday.
