"This place has become so toxic" - Martina Navratilova condemns apparent lack of compassion towards King Charles amid his cancer battle
Former World No. 1 Martina Navratilova has voiced her dismay at the insensitive tweets targeting King Charles during his cancer fight.
King Charles was recently diagnosed with cancer, and is currently receiving treatment. He will be forced to relieve himself from public duties and prioritise his recovery, as per the Buckingham Palace.
News of the 75-year-old's health quickly made the rounds online, with many users making light of the situation.
Acknowledging the sensitivity of the situation, Navratilova expressed her concerns about the "toxicity" of social media.
"This place has become so toxic, it's just sad," Matina Navratilova said while replying to a user's message on X.
Navratilova is one of the most decorated athletes in the world. She dominated women's tennis during her career, capturing 59 Grand Slam titles, which includes 18 singles, 31 doubles, and 10 mixed doubles titles.
The 67-year-old is often spotted at Major tournaments, closely analyzing the game and interacting with the current lot of players. She has never been afraid to voice her honest opinions about matches, the top players in the world, the latest developments in the game, as well as other world events.
"We are not against trans athletes, we are for women athletes to compete on as level a playing field as possible" - Martina Navratilova
Martina Navratilova recently responded to the backlash she faced regarding her position on transgender athletes participating in women’s sports.
Speaking on the 'On with Kara Swisher' podcast in December 2023, the tennis legend claimed it was unethical to allow transgender athletes in the women’s game. She also called for the creation of a more equal playing field rather than criticising the transgender atheletes or taking harsh steps against them.
"We are not against trans athletes," Navratilova said. "We are for women athletes to compete on as level a playing field as possible, which means the males who now identify as women, should compete in a male category and women who identify as men but don't take testosterone can compete as women. Because there is still no advantage physically over other women athletes."
Martina Navratilova also said that biologically, male athletes have a clear physical advantage when competing against women athletes.
"I'm all for trans rights on a civil level, a hundred percent. And this is not against trans athletes. This is against male bodies competing as women if they identify as women. Many sports don't even have any mitigation, any allowance for lowering the testosterone level, et cetera," she added.