Athlete and activist Martina Navratilova will give a speech at 8 p.m. tonight in Eisenhower Auditorium.

Her speech, "The Power of One," is part of the Distinguished Speakers Series. Navratilova is the fourth and final speaker in the 2001 series to come to Penn State.

Navratilova, who is originally from Czechoslovakia, came to the United States in 1975 with one goal: to be the best women's tennis player in the world.

At the time of her retirement in 1994, Navratilova had acquired more tournament titles than any man or woman in tennis history. She won at least one tournament for 21 consecutive years, and won a record nine Wimbledon titles.

She was ranked No. 1 for 331 weeks.

No player — man or woman — has surpassed her 167 tournament wins, or her 1,438 competition matches.

She has commentated on HBO for Wimbledon, providing the program with an authoritative view of the sport.

Navratilova now competes on the Legends Tennis Tour and in exhibitions around the world. Navratilova recently published her third suspense novel, Killer Instinct, co-written with Liz Nickles.

She is an influential advocate for many causes, including women's issues, children's causes, animal welfare and the environment. During her playing years, Navratilova was open about her bisexuality, and continues to speak on gay rights.

The Distinguished Speakers Series is sponsored by University Park Allocation Committee and coordinated by the Distinguished Speaker Series Committee and the Office of Student Activities.

The event is free and open to the public, but tickets are necessary. Tickets will be available tonight at the Eisenhower Auditorium box office.