Election season is heating up in the United States, and with just 20 days left until the polls, the country is buzzing with anticipation. From political debates to heated discussions, everyone seems to have an opinion—and the tennis world is no exception. Former tennis pro and outspoken activist Martina Navratilova has never been one to shy away from sharing her views, and this election is no different. She once again made headlines by throwing her support behind the Democratic Party ahead of the polls. But what really got people talking was the way she handled a critic who tried to challenge her opinion.

The 67-year-old took to X to express her support for the Democratic Party, but this quickly turned into a heated exchange with a user who criticized her for not knowing the reality and claimed that Navratilova does not do her own shopping or pay her car insurance bills. The tennis legend decided not to remain stoic and hit back at the user in style.

The controversy erupted after Navratilova shared a post that claimed 11 out of 12 key economic measures improved under Biden’s presidency compared to when he assumed office in 2021. Reposting the data, which was sourced from Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED), the former player wrote, “Hmm. It seems things are better under a democrat than under a republican. Meaning Biden is a LOT  better for our economy than trump. Who knew? I did…,” expressing her support for the Democratic party for the upcoming elections. However, it did not suit well with a user. 

Responding to Navratilova, the user wrote, “You obviously don’t shop for your own groceries or pay your own car insurance bill.” However, the star player was not ready to take any offense against herself and hit back at the user. “I absolutely do. And I live in Florida where all insurance has skyrocketed thanks to our lovely governor. Actually just came back from Publix- why don’t you ask the owner of that chain to stop price gouging???,” Navratilova responded. Remember, price rises and particularly the inflation in grocery items have continued to remain an important topic for the US elections this year. 

A YouGov poll, published in July this year, highlighted that inflation was a “very serious problem” for 64 percent of Americans. Most of them were concerned about grocery prices. Compared with four years ago, the price of groceries has risen by almost 20 percent, according to the New York Times, playing a significant role in the elections. The same is true for insurance.

The cost of auto insurance has been rising for some time and has witnessed significant growth. Since December 2021, costs have increased by 45.8%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, when a user tried to bring this up, Navratilova demonstrated her awareness and hit back at them. This is not the first time Navratilova has engaged in a tussle while expressing her support for the Democrats.

After the attempted assassination of Donald Trump this year, Navratilova criticized Elon Musk for his comments against Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Musk commented on a post that questioned why someone took such a violent step against the former President and wrote “And no one is even trying to assassinate Biden/Kamala.” Navratilova was quick to respond and said, “Elon needs to STFU. You can’t really strip or at least shouldn’t strip someone of their citizenship but Elon is off the charts a**wipe.” But interestingly, Navratilova has also witnessed disagreements with the Democrats in the past.

When Martina Navratilova opposed a policy on transgenders

Martina Navratilova is not just known for her elegant playing style but also for her outspokenness. It is for this reason that the star player even engaged in a tussle with the Biden administration over its policy for transgender athletes.

In February 2021, Navratilova demanded a special provision be made for elite sports after President Biden signed an executive order that allowed equal transgender participation in school sports. In an interview with the BBC, she claimed that while she supported the move for inclusivity, the physical advantages of transwomen athletes who have undergone male puberty would be “pretty obvious.” “An all-inclusive situation where trans men and women, just based on their self-id, would be able to compete with no mitigation … that clearly would not be a level playing field,” Navratilova shared. 

However, her latest statements highlight her continued support for the Democratic Party despite these differences. As the polls inch closer, it will be interesting to see if Navratilova shares more such sentiments and continues to express her support for the party in the future.