It’s safe to say that Novak Djokovic is one of the most influential athletes in the current era. His words and actions carry significant weight and have the potential to influence the thinking of many. For this reason, his argument against equal pay in tennis sparked widespread discussion at one time.

The 21-time Grand Slam winner’s stance against equal pay in tennis had once polarized the tennis community, especially the fans. So much so that even seasoned players like Martina Navratilova had a word or two to say against Novak Djokovic’s ‘absurd’ stance.

Martina Navratilova on Novak Djokovic’s poor stance against equal pay

Back in 2016, Martina Navratilova was in conversation with Jane and Julie on a podcast called ‘Ladies Room’. So during the podcast, the 65-year-old spoke about Novak Djokovic and his stance against women’s pay. “But I’m it’s just disappointing that Novak would be that nearsighted that he wouldn’t see the big picture, and was the right thing to do,” said Navratilova

She further said, “And, and kind of go back in time and say, No, we are men, and we should we should have more. But yeah, of course, who owns the corporations? Men! Who owns the real estate? Men! And, you know, there are many countries where women still don’t have equal rights. So you know, he’s kind of would-be validating those places. And it’s just the wrong thing to do. So I hope he comes to his senses.”

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The uproar came after Novak Djokovic questioned the practice of paying men and women equally for their achievements in championships. After winning the 2016 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Djokovic gave a press conference in which he justified the use of statistics to calculate the winnings at joint events.

Navratilova criticized Novak Djokovic for not getting the Covid-19 vaccine

After Novak Djokovic’s visa was revoked earlier this year in Australia, many people came out in favor of Djokovic, while others voiced their vehement opposition. Martina Navratilova belonged to the latter set of people.

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The 65-year-old said that the Serb legend should consider others’ safety. “Sometimes your personal beliefs have to be trumped by what is good for the greater good, for those around you, for your peers,” she said.

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While she has always stood up for Novak and praised his dedication to the game of tennis, she felt that the Serbian should have taken decisions responsibly in terms of overall betterment.