NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. (AP) – Martina Navratilova’s retirement sendoff will include induction into the U.S. Open Court of Cham-pions.

She’ll be inducted along with the late Don Budge, a two-time winner, in ceremonies at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 10, before the men’s final. The 49-year-old Na-vratilova annou-nced this summer that she will retire again after the U.S. Open.

She’ll join previous Court of Champion inductees Jimmy Co-nnors, Margaret Co-urt, Chris Evert, Steffi Graf, Billie Jean King, Jack Kramer, Rod Laver, Ivan Lendl, John Mc-Enroe and Bill Tilden, who have a total of 231 Grand Slam titles.

“It’s excellent company,” Navratilova said in a phone interview from Montreal, where she was playing doubles in the Rogers Cup.

She originally retired in 1994 with a record 167 singles titles, having spent 331 weeks ranked No. 1. Navratilova has specialized in doubles since her return in 2000, looking to add to her 58 Grand Slam titles.

Among her 15 U.S. Open titles, Navratilova won consecutive sigles championships in 1983 -84 and 1986-87.

She played d-oubles with No. 6-ranked Nadia Petrova and mi-xed doubles with Bob Bryan, part of the top-ranked men’s doubles team, at the U.S. Open that began on Aug. 28.

“I’ve got some very good partners, I need to step up to the plate,” Navratilova said prior to the start of the U.S. Open.

She said her busy tennis schedule is leaving less time for other interests.

“I need three of me,” Navratilova said, laughing. “I have too many things going on business-wise. But most of all, my personal life is affected. There’s not as much time to spend with my one and only. It takes away from my private life and is not enhancing it.

“I love to play, but it’s time to get on with my life.”

Navratilova plans to play singles during the second week of the U.S. Open in the newly created Champions Invitational, which features players who were Grand Slam champions or finalists. But she said it depends on her cranky knees and how far she advances in doubles and mixed doubles in New York.

Last year, she reached the doubles semifinals of the U.S. Open with Anna-Lena Groenefeld.

“I injured my good knee while I was rehabbing my bad one,” she said. “I can’t really run very well, it’s not 100 percent. But I hope to play singles; it’s getting better.”

Navratilova has been busy endorsing the Visa Rainbow Card, promoting her new book Shape Your Self and recently attended the 1st World Outgames in Montreal, a festival for GLBT athletes and artists.

“It’s a full-time job,” Navratilova said of the Rainbow Card, which returns money to the gay community. “I think it’s a great way for the gay and lesbian community to get together and harness our economic power. Become more vocal about our rights.”

Navratilova, who lives in Sarasota, Fla., would like to have her own tennis academy someday.

“I’d like to see a slightly different breed of tennis player,” Navratilova said. “A more complete human being. There are great hitters, but not great tennis players.”