"Because I'm a woman I'm not supposed to be?" - With Rafael Nadal as example, Martina Navratilova questions "competitive" women's tennis player label
Martina Navratilova recently cited the example of Rafael Nadal to ridicule those who tend to criticize 'competitive' and 'muscular' women's tennis players. Navratilova, in her prime, was one of the first women's players in the sport to have an out-and-out muscular appearance.
Throughout her illustrious career, the Czech-American won an astonishing 167 singles titles inclusive of 18 Majors. No one in the sport, across both men's and women's categories, has yet been able to match this remarkable number.
Furthermore, Navratilova was an excellent doubles player too, winning a record 177 titles inclusive of 31 women's doubles and 10 mixed doubles Grand Slam titles. Unsurprisingly, these staggering feats saw her become the World No. 1 in both singles and doubles.
Martina Navratilova's resounding success was significantly aided by the fact that she focused heavily on following a strict diet and fitness regimen. Her lifestyle choices had a profound impact on how she looked; a muscular appearance in an era in which barely any of her rivals could boast of her overall physical build.
Over time though, the Czech-American's ways caught on, and many present-day women's tennis players have taken after her in terms of their focus on making themselves stronger by making appropriate lifestyle choices.
On October 3, Navratilova appeared as a guest on the Politics War Room podcast, where she reflected on her mercurial rise to the pinnacle of tennis.
"I took it to another level with fitness, with diet, with doing everything that I possibly could to be the best athlete I could be, therefore the best tennis player. I was quite frankly stronger and better than they (her predecessors and rivals) were. So I think I played tennis I thought it should be played. Male or female, I don't care. And I'm proud of that," Martina Navratilova said (at 56:47).
The former World No. 1 went on to comment that her feats inspired women athletes to be competitive like her without fearing what people would say.
"And I think also when it came to women athletes, I think I've made women feel that they don't have to apologize for being great athletes, for having muscles, for being strong, for being powerful, for being competitive," Navratilova added.
Then, the Czech-American proceeded to cite Rafael Nadal's example. According to Navratilova, the legendary Spaniard's muscular appearance is often appreciated, but the same appreciation isn't extended to women players who choose to look and feel powerful. Recalling instances from her playing days when people would question her competitive spirit, she said:
"You know, when you think about Rafael Nadal, he's so competitive. It's a positive. But so many times I've heard people say, 'oh you're so competitive. why?', I'm like, 'really? because I'm a woman I'm not supposed to be competitive?' Whoever goes out on the court saying 'I'm going to lose today'? Of course I'm competitive. I'll work my ass off to get to where I am. I want to win," Navratilova concluded.
Earlier this year, Martina Navratilova sarcastically clapped back at an X (formerly Twitter) user who suggested that the Czech-American had a competitive edge during her playing days owing to her muscular physical build.
Martina Navratilova dismissed the suggestion that she had an unfair advantage over her rivals
Back in April this year, an X user lashed out at Martina Navratilova over the Czech-American's disapproval of transgender women athletes competing with biological women. Navratilova maintains to this day that transgender women were born men and claimed that they therefore have physical advantages over biological women.
The user wrote that Navratilova herself had an advantage over her fiercest rivals during her playing career. According to the user, this advantage stemmed from the former World No. 1 being more muscular.
However, Navratilova went on to slam the user over the take and said that despite her muscular appearance, she still was a woman at the end of the day.
"Aren’t you sweet? Well, looks aren’t everything. Yeah, I was more muscular. Still had my period, every damn month. Still a female. Males cannot become females, no matter what their passport might say...," Martina Navratilova wrote.
Navratilova continues to be heavily involved in tennis. The former World No. 1 regularly features at prestigious events as an analyst/commentator and also gives her takes on important sociopolitical issues via X.