Tennis legend Martina Navratilova’s wife, Julia Lemigova, is returning to the classroom to pursue a long-held dream she once thought she had set aside. At 53, Lemigova has boldly decided to study opera, embracing a new chapter in her life.

In a recent feature with Boca Magazine, Lemigova opened up about balancing her passion for opera with raising two adopted sons alongside Navratilova. She shared:

“Your passion doesn’t have an expiration date. I’m in my fifties, studying opera, running a farm, raising two boys with my wife Martina, filming “Housewives,” and I’ve never felt more alive. It’s never too late to begin again, to rediscover who you are.”

Lemigova has enrolled at Florida International University (FIU) in a five-year Bachelor’s/Master’s program in classical voice and opera. Reflecting on her return to the classroom, she described the experience as “humbling,” saying:

“It felt incredibly empowering to go back to school at my age. Music has always been a huge passion of mine. Walking into a classroom again was emotional. It’s humbling because I’m starting from scratch, but also liberating. This time, I’m studying purely for the love of it.”

Martina Navratilova’s wife Julia reveals feelings about singing opera….

In the same Boca Magazine feature, Julia Lemigova was asked what singing opera means to her. She described her relationship with the art form as deeply personal, noting that it serves as a form of therapy and emotional expression in her life.

“Singing gives me freedom,” Lemigova said. “It’s therapy for my soul. Some people go to the gym for stress relief, I sing opera! When I sing, I can release emotions I don’t always have words for. It’s powerful, vulnerable, and deeply healing all at once. In those moments, I’m completely present.”

Martina Navratilova and Julia Lemigova first crossed paths in 2000. At the time, Lemigova was working as a model, and although Navratilova made the first approach, nothing came of it. The pair reconnected eight years later at the 2008 French Open, when Lemigova invited Navratilova for breakfast. It was then that their relationship began to blossom, and they started dating.

The couple got engaged when Navratilova famously proposed to Julia Lemigova at the 2014 U.S. Open. They tied the knot later that December in New York City.

Before their marriage, Lemigova was already a mother to two daughters, Victoria and Emma. In August of last year, the couple announced that they had adopted two young boys, expanding their family further.