?How Ridiculous Is That???- 66-Year-Old Martina Navratilova Adds to the Outrage as Ukrainian Athlete Faces the Heat From Fencing Federation

The Ukraine and Russia conflict has stirred up plenty of controversy across all the sports in the world. Recently, the Olympics committee decided to ban all Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing in Paris next year. Similarly, Wimbledon imposed the same ban last year before the ATP and WTA tour docked off all the Wimbledon points for the year.

However, the controversy is not just created by the authorities. Certain actions from the players themselves have led to a heated discourse on social media. Talking about social media discourse, the first name that comes to one’s mind would be Martina Navratilova. The Czech-American legend spends a good part of her daily time voicing opinions on Twitter as her 204,000 plus tweets suggest. But, what did the 18-time major champion have to say about Ukrainian and Russian players involved in the new sporting controversy?

Martina Navratilova furious at the fencing federation’s rules

Athletes are expected to shake hands with their opponents in almost all sports after the completion of the match. In recent times, some Ukrainian players have stopped doing so with Russian players amidst the war tensions. For instance, Elina Svitolina has refused to shake hands on numerous occasions with the likes of Aryna Sabalenka, Daria Kasatkina, and Victoria Azarenka in the last few months. Similarly, fencer Olha Harlan refused to shake hands with her Russian opponent.

However, the fencing federation banned the Ukrainian for this gesture which led to social media outrage. Navratilova joined in with her opinion and said, “How ridiculous is that?!? Shaking hands is a sign of respect, not anything else. They have no right to disqualify an athlete for not shaking hands before or after a competition.”

Navratilova always looks to side with the oppressed entity. She does not show a strong alliance with a particular party in that regard. For instance, she spoke against Wimbledon banning Russian athletes last year.

READ MORE: ?They Killed Me? ? Martina Navratilova Once Disclosed How She Became a ?Convenient Target? for Her Honest and Outspoken Attitude

Martina Navratilova was against the Russian ban at Wimbledon

When Wimbledon banned Russians and Belarusians from participating at Wimbledon last year, Navratilova strongly condemned the situation. She also opined that it was a loss-loss situation as Wimbledon points were also stripped from the players.

She could relate to the Ukrainian players but she also understood the fact that the decision meant nothing. Her stance did not show any bias or favoritism throughout the saga.

Do you think Martina Navratilova is the most outspoken person in the tennis fraternity? Let us know in the comments.

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