If Martina Navratilova sounded a tad tired coming through the phone that’s probably because she was.

“Been a long day,” the 18-time Grand Slam singles champion said recently from Vienna. “Just did a speech at a SAP conference for 1,500 people. Now that’s pressure.”

At the age of 66, she just beat cancer (again), still works for numerous networks as an analyst, is heavily engaged with social media, appears occasionally on “The Real Housewives of Miami” and dashes around the world giving motivational speeches.

“It’s usually what I learned through trials and tribulations of becoming a champion -- and how everybody can become a champion, too,” she said before hopping on a plane back to Miami.

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Navratilova will be among an abundance of champions Oct. 29-Nov. 5 at the GNP Seguros WTA Finals Cancun, the year-end event featuring the top eight singles players and doubles teams. Navratilova and Chris Evert will serve as ambassadors. Navratilova, of course, will be multitasking, calling matches for Amazon UK.

Here’s how she sees the singles field:

No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka

2023 season: 53-12 (.815), three titles

Navratilova’s take: Consistent enough, but most consistent in the majors, right? That’s where the numbers come in. I thought that Iga was going to finish the year No.1, but Ayrna caught her. So, the No.1 is up for grabs. … She’s played the most consistently in the big events, and I expect her to do that again in this one. I know she wasn’t that happy in Guadalajara -- the ball was flying on her too much -- but I think in Cancun she’ll have an easier time.

Being at sea level, she should be full of confidence. Unless there is some scar tissue from the US Open final -- she knows she could have won, but didn’t. She just didn’t play her best tennis. The pressure’s off and she’s probably going to finish with the No.1 --- I bet she didn’t expect that at the beginning of the year.

No.2 Iga Swiatek

2023 season: 63-11 (.851), five titles

Navratilova’s take: Talking in Beijing, Iga almost seemed relieved to not be No.1. The No.2 ranking is a smaller crown to bear. I get that, but I still would rather be No.1 than No.2. That said, the pressure is just a little bit smaller and maybe that makes it easier for her.

I’m sure she’ll be trying her best to get back to the No.1 again. If it stays that way, it will be Sabalenka No.1 and Swiatek No.2 when the Australian Open rolls around. It’s so close now, we have a great rivalry, and I’m excited about that.

No.3 Coco Gauff

2023 season: 49-14 (.778), four titles

Navratilova’s take: She’s figured out how to win, even when she’s not playing her best tennis. I think she’s got clarity now with the game plan. And that gives you a lot of confidence, kind of takes you off the hook when things don’t go well you can get nervous and panic and say, ‘Oh my God, what do I do?’

But when you have a plan, you know whether it’s working or not. If it works, you stick with it and if it doesn’t, obviously you can change it. But that’s what that clarity gives you -- a lot of confidence. So then weaknesses are not so weak anymore, and you just get on with it. And that’s what happened at the Open. She knew what she had to do to win the match.  

No.4 Elena Rybakina

2023 season: 46-13 (.780), two titles

Navratilova’s take: It’s a bit of a dilemma. Her game seems steady and consistent, but her results have not been consistent. She’s more unpredictable than I think she should be, given her game. She’s pretty solid technically but still has high fluctuations in the quality of her game.

She still goes up and down too much. When she becomes more consistent day in and day out, watch out. On any given day, her serve is such a big weapon. She’s still a work in progress, still trying to find her way. And maybe she tries so hard to be unemotional that it gets in the way. Let it out.

No.5 Jessica Pegula

2023 season: 50-17 (.746), one title

Navratilova’s take: Jessie still needs to get out of her comfort zone. When push comes to shove, she plays it safe -- and she needs to not do that. Playing it safe, she’s not going to beat the players that are ranked higher than her. It was kind of like that with Simona Halep. Early on at Wimbledon, in the big moments, she backed away from the baseline.

When she started being more aggressive positionally, crowding the baseline, that’s when she started winning majors. And I think Jessica needs to do the same. She doesn’t have a huge weapon and can make up with it in more aggression, shot selection and court position. You don’t have to hit the ball harder, but hit it closer to the line. Sit down on the baseline to take time away from your opponent.

No.6 Marketa Vondrousova

2023 season: 40-14 (.741), one title

Navratilova’s take: It’s the one to win, if you’re only going to win one. And I think Marketa’s backed it up with some decent results. Her ranking went up a little more because she had better results than a year ago. She’s got a nice all-around game. She still has room for improvement in her shot selection and shot placement and aggression.

She’s decent at the net. She can mix it up a bit more. I’m quite happy she broke through at Wimbledon. We’ll see how she likes the court in Cancun, but she’s never come anywhere near qualifying for the year-end final. So I hope she’s not just happy to be there.

No.7 Ons Jabeur

2023 season: 35-15 (.700), two titles

Navratilova’s take: I mean, as disappointing as the US Open final was for Sabalenka, I think the Wimbledon final was even more so for Ons. Because she was such a big favorite to win that match and didn’t play her best tennis. Now the pressure’s off. I don’t think she even imagined she’d be in the final eight with all her injuries. So it would be a nice cherry on top to end the year on a good note and springboard into next year.

That would give her a lot of confidence if she has any confidence going into the tournament. Obviously the way she plays is entertaining and she has the ability, but I hope she has the heart for it.

No.8 Maria Sakkari

2023 season: 38-22 (.633), one title

Martina’s take: With Muchova pulling out, I think Maria will be thrilled that she’s in. She was probably down in the dumps -- her only hope was somebody pulling out, and that’s exactly what happened. And now, you’re playing with house money, so pressure’s off in a way. And any time with house money, it’s a second chance. For me, what I see is that she wants it so badly it holds her back.

Maria likes Mexico; she just won the Guadalajara 1000. And it’s her third straight year in the Finals. Last year she won all three round-robin matches to get to the semifinals. This is a massive windfall emotionally and financially. This can really salvage a season and give you a nice springboard for next season.