Martina Navratilova sends emotional message after UK Supreme Court's landmark ruling on trans women
Tennis icon Martina Navratilova did not withhold her jubilation after the UK Supreme Court made a historic decision on April 16, 2025, settling the meaning of the word "woman" as specifically being biological sex. Navratilova thanked the individuals who fought for years for the cause.
The decision follows a high-profile court fight brought by campaigning group For Women Scotland, which objected to the Scottish Government's interpretation of the Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Act 2018. The government had put transgender women with Gender Recognition Certificates (GRCs) in its definition of "woman" for public sector gender balance for the first time.
Critics said that this confused the lines drawn by the Equality Act 2010, which differentiates between biological sex and gender identity. On Wednesday, the UK's supreme court ruled with the challengers, deciding that legal sex under the Equality Act is based on biology—not gender recognition.
Navratilova, famous for her outspoken advocacy of fairness in women's sports, welcomed the ruling for confirming what she had long believed, writing:
"UK Supreme Court live: Trans women not women in definition ruling – we women knew who we were all along. Thank you to all who fought for this for years!!!"
The decision has led some organizations, such as the NHS and the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), to reassess and possibly update their policies in line with this legal clarification.
Martina Navratilova backed groundbreaking UK tennis ruling excluding trans women from women’s category
Martina Navratilova welcomed the LTA's move to exclude transgender women and non-binary players born male from female-only UK tennis tournaments, including Wimbledon, from 2025. The LTA gave fairness and biological benefits as primary reasons for making the change.
"It is clear that tennis and padel are gender-affected sports — the average man has an advantage when playing against the average woman. This includes longer levers with which to reach and hit the ball and increased cardio-vascular capacity means being able to get around the court more easily," the statement read.
Referring to it as a "good start," Navratilova called on other tennis organizations such as the USTA (United States Tennis Association) to do the same.
"Congrats to @the_LTA , this is a good start and I am hoping the @usta and others will follow suit," Navratilova wrote.
In other news, Martina Navratilova called out male players for being silent over transgender participation in women's sport.