Martina Navratilova, the 18-time Grand Slam champion, is never afraid to speak her mind. The legend has been an advocate for fairness in sports, once using Rafael Nadal as an example to challenge stereotypes about competitive women’s tennis players. She believes the same qualities admired in male athletes, like competitiveness and muscularity, are often criticized in females. Navratilova’s candidness and leadership have made her a respected voice in the tennis world. But at times, she can be brutal with her takes too. What happened though?

Last month, Navratilova reposted a poster celebrating trans celebrities with the tagline, “Women’s history is trans history.” However, while writing her own remarks, she disagreed with the original tagline, arguing, “No it’s not… women’s history means Females… and all the obstacles we had to overcome to make history. Trans history is trans history. Women’s history…. You get the drift.” This wasn’t her only comeback on the matter.

On Tuesday, March 11, the debate reopened when an X user responded to a post, writing, “Trans women are also biological women. This s*** is so unnecessarily cruel to a marginalized group of women who already face extremely high levels of harassment, sexual assault and violence” While the original post to which they responded could not be uncovered due to the account being private, Martina did not let this slide as she shot back with brutal honesty, “Another person who clearly failed Biology 101” Ouch!

This debate over transgender athletes in sports has been ongoing for Navratilova. Last February, she was visibly dismayed by transgender athlete Maelle Jacques’s victory in a girls’ high jump event. The 9-time Wimbledon champion aimed her criticism squarely at Jacques, asserting that women’s sports shouldn’t be a platform for “failed male athletes.” She took to her X account, writing, “And I will keep saying this ad nauseam until the rules change- women’s sports are not a place for failed male athletes.” 

Navratilova’s take on trans-athletes hasn’t been received well by the fans, but this isn’t the first time she’s faced backlash for her comments. Once, she even acknowledged her lack of sensitivity on the issue and promised to educate herself.

When Martina Navratilova made a promise to educate herself after backlash

In 2019, Navratilova ignited a firestorm with her comments on transgender athletes competing in women’s sports. She sparked outrage by labeling it “cheating” for biological males to compete against women, citing physical differences in strength, musculature, and bone density as unfair advantages. This stance led to her removal from the advisory board of Athlete Ally, a prominent LGBT sports advocacy group. Athlete Ally countered, “First of all, trans women are women, period. They did not decide their gender identity any more than someone decides to be gay, or to have blue eyes.”

Navratilova’s comments were met with fierce criticism, with many accusing her of dehumanizing trans people. Despite her long history as a spokesperson for LGBT rights, her views on this issue diverged sharply from those of her allies. In response to the backlash, Navratilova claimed she would educate herself on the matter, stating, “I promised to keep quiet on the subject until I had properly researched it… well, I’ve now done that and, if anything, my views have strengthened.” This stance only intensified the debate, with many arguing that her research reinforced misconceptions rather than challenging them.

As the controversy unfolded, Navratilova continued to explore the complexities of trans athletes in sports. She participated in a BBC documentary, ‘The Trans Women Athlete Dispute with Martina Navratilova,’ where she acknowledged the immense challenges faced by trans individuals and expressed regret for hurting people with her earlier comments. Despite this, her views remain contentious, reflecting the ongoing debate about inclusivity and fairness in sports. What’s your take on this?