"Been defending Novak for a long time, completely disagree on his COVID stance and for that I got abuse" - Martina Navratilova on the abuse she gets from Novak Djokovic fans on social media
Martina Navratilova has slammed a section of fans on social media after she was subjected to abuse and harsh language due to her disagreement with Novak Djokovic. The legendary Czech-American player further expressed that she "completely disagrees" with Djokovic's stance on COVID and his choice to remain unvaccinated.
It all started when a Twitter user posted a sarcastic comment bragging about the fact that they were blocked by Navratilova, Rennae Stubbs, and tennis journalists Jon Wertheim and Ben Rothenberg on the social media site.
Some exciting news all, I have completed by Tennis establishment Calendar Grand Slam! 🏆🏆🏆🏆
Thanks @benrothenberg @martina @jon_wertheim @rennaestubbs https://t.co/LkW9tU91lg
@pavyg @BenRothenberg @jon_wertheim @rennaestubbs Could be you are a real jerk…. Judging from all the blocking, it’s a pattern… this is not something I would be proud of at all.
Navratilova hit back at the fan by clarifying that she will not tolerate unnecessary comments just because she has her own opinion. Another user criticized the 18-time Grand Slam singles champion for being too harsh on Djokovic, to which Navratilova stated that getting social media abuse from certain people just for not being on the same page as the Serbian star over his COVID stance is certainly unjustified.
"Been defending Novak for a long time. Completely disagree on his covid stance. And for that I got abuse- so blocked more than a few jerks- pav whoever was one of them. And now he has been blocked by some friends of mine, including Jon. So a nasty pattern on his end. Thank you," Navratilova wrote in response to a fan.
@anamebyanyother @pavyg @BenRothenberg @jon_wertheim @rennaestubbs Been defending Novak for a long time. Completely disagree on his covid stance. And for that I got abuse- so blocked more than a few jerks- pav whoever was one of them. And now he has been blocked by some friends of mine, including Jon. So a nasty pattern on his end. Thank you.
@anamebyanyother @pavyg @BenRothenberg @jon_wertheim @rennaestubbs So according to you we should just let some anonymous person be abusive and take it? Not worth the time nor the effort- therefore BLOCK:). Thank you
Social media abuse and harshness has been a topic of discussion for a while now and other tennis players have also spoken out against the same, particularly in recent years. Earlier this year, Navratilova slammed another fan on social media who harshly criticized her for her stance on Djokovic's Australian Open row.
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@mpshe_shamai @ValKatMil1 @DjokerNole @TennisChannel Apparently Novak and I can agree to disagree but you can’t. Nice hyperbole though. As if I had anything to do Australian rules and laws. But you just go on hating, I hope it makes you feel better about yourself:)
During the Australian Open in January, Navratilova had expressed that she was not in support of the Serbian star's reluctance against COVID vaccinations, but had defended him after his visa was canceled and he was deported from Australia.
Taylor Fritz speaks out against social media criticism after comment about Novak Djokovic
Taylor Fritz also recently commented on the criticism he faced from certain fans on social media after expressing his views on Novak Djokovic's ongoing US Open controversy. When asked about his views on the Serb being denied entry into the US for participation at the Grand Slam tournament, Fritz expressed that he saw both sides of the argument.
While he was not in favor of granting exemptions to certain individuals, he believed that the US was not following strict COVID rules in general anyway and there was no harm in letting in the 21-time Grand Slam champion.
"So I see both sides of the argument. It's good for every player if Novak is not in the draw (smiles),” Fritz said on the same during a press conference at the Cincinnati Open.
He went on to add a joke afterwards, suggesting that personally, the former World No. 1's absence would be good for him since it would cut down on the competition. The World No. 6's fans, however, slammed him for his joke, and Fritz later clarified that his comments were taken out of context.
Nothing new just me getting ripped for making a joke about Novak being better then everyone, the issue with press transcripts is it’s just raw text and it’s not clear the manner in how things are said, what i jokingly said felt like a compliment to Novak more than anything else🤷🏻‍♂️ twitter.com/pavyg/status/1…