Martina Navratilova was one of the greatest tennis players of all time. Along with battling her opponents on the court, she fought for her own rights in the 80s and the 90s. Since her early days in tennis, she hasn’t hesitated to reveal her unfiltered thoughts and views to the world. After her retirement, she has become very vocal about various issues, especially political ones. 

The 59-time grand slam champion made headlines when she revealed her sexuality in 1981 and since then, the criticism has only increased. Navratilova married her girlfriend in 2014 after being together for several years.

Martina Navratilova opened up about the issues faced by the LGBTQ community

In an interview back in 2018, the 59-time grand slam winner talked about how people reacted to her sexuality and about her accomplishments. She also opened up about how people are treated differently based on their sexuality. The tennis icon has achieved the highest honors and played her best, but at times, she felt that people looked down on her.

She continued to receive flak for her sexuality, even after she retired. When asked about whether the people have grown to accept others’ personal choices, she said, “Well, I think people have caught up on the gay rights issue, but we are still sliding backward. I thought we were done fighting a lot of these battles. So, it’s more important to stay vocal and stay involved, to get involved.” 

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Continuing on this, she raised a concern about the apparent attack on human rights all over the world. She said, “Well, the erosion of human rights around the world. There had been so much progress made but in America we are going backward. I just saw a sign that somebody posted on Twitter and it was from a hardware store. No gays allowed. On a hardware store. And that is all coming from the top, you know. That is all coming from Trump and his enablers.” Through her constant efforts over the years, she has proven to be a strong supporter of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Navratilova was once questioned by her mother

The 59 grand slam champion, with her professional growth, also focused on human issues, especially the ones concerning the LGBTQ community. The tennis legend once recalled a time when her mother questioned her about carrying the fight for the community and being a flag-bearer in the struggle for equal rights. She answered to her mother that it is good that she is not alone in this fight and people have someone to follow.

Watch this story – Martina Navratilova firmly believed in a young Serena Williams surpassing her records

After her retirement, the former world number didn’t move away from tennis and continued as a tennis analyst and sports expert. She is also an official analyst of the Wimbledon Championship, and often works as a commentator during the majors.