Home/Tennis

via Imago

via Imago

Martina Navratilova has never backed away from expressing her views. She has never been afraid of the backlash that she sometimes has to face due to her unfiltered opinions.

The player uses various platforms both in real and virtual life, to make her voice heard. The player in 2019 took a bold step of wearing a hat, stated, ‘IMPEACH’, which the authorities asked her to take down at Wimbledon.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Martina Navratilova made a bold statement during the Wimbledon 2019

Navratilova was a critic of the former president of the USA, Donald Trump; consequently, took the bold step of wearing a white baseball cap. The cap had the word ‘IMPEACH’ on it.

However, the authorities asked her to take it off. The regulation was that Wimbledon banned the participants from making any political statements. When asked, she replied, “Sorry about that, forgot had it on”.

READ MORE:‘Put It in Her Mouth’ – Chris Evert Once Narrated a Time Where She ‘Fell Over With Laughter’ Owing to Martina Navratilova’s Innocent Act After a Brutal Loss

However, later on, on Twitter, she confessed by saying, “Oops. Not really.” She did it to stage a protest against the President and to express her point of view.

How has Wimbledon’s stance changed and how has Navratilova supported it?

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Wimbledon in 2019 stopped Navratilova from making a political statement through her clothes. However, this year, Wimbledon banned Russian players from playing at the grass-court major following the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Moreover, it also relaxed the all-white rule for the players to let them express their solidarity with Ukraine.

via Getty

Navratilova backed Wimbledon and talked about players who were apprehensive about being a part of the major, as WTA and the ATP had stripped the major from its ranking points. Players like Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, however, condemned the move and stated that politics should not be included in the sport.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

WATCH THIS STORY: ‘Seems to Get Injured a Lot’ – Martina Navratilova Once Used Serena Williams’ Example to Talk About the ‘Fragmented’ Nature of Women’s Tennis. 

Russian and Belarusian players are playing on other tours under neutral flags. Besides that, they have also vouched for peace around the world.