“Cheaters,” Martina Navratilova Voices Brutal Opinion Against Transgender Participation in Women’s Sports

Martina Navratilova isn’t new to sharing her thoughts on many topics, especially fairness in women’s sports. “I’m right on most people’s opinion about women’s sex-based spaces, and especially sports. They need to stay female,” she said at a Wimbledon press conference last year. She has pushed for clearer rules in sports, including biological sex verification through testing for eligibility. She even cited Rafael Nadal to challenge stereotypes about women’s tennis players. And her focus goes beyond tennis.

On Wednesday, Jennifer Sey, former 1986 U.S. Women’s All-Around National Gymnastics Champion and seven-time U.S. Women’s National Team member, wrote on X about Luce Allens, a senior transgender girl who won a 200-meter race at a Pennsylvania high school meet. Sey shared a video from TheTruthFits, stating, “No honest person looks at ‘Luce’ & thinks he’s a girl. When boys compete in girls’ track and field, they win. In Pennsylvania too.”

Martina quickly responded to Sey’s tweet, calling them “Cheaters. And they know it.” Previously, she has emphasized her belief in biological fairness and preserving a level playing field for biological females. Arguing that individuals who have gone through male puberty keep physical advantages like muscle mass, bone density, and lung capacity, giving them an unfair edge over those who went through female puberty.

Cheaters. And they know it. https://t.co/Bn0QWiwhTN

— Martina Navratilova (@Martina) May 13, 2025

Remember when Martina Navratilova called out trans swimmer Lia Thomas? She said Thomas should have an asterisk next to her name for winning races, claiming Thomas had a “biological advantage” because she was born male. This sparked a firestorm just before Thomas made history as the first transgender NCAA champion in Georgia in 2022.

Martina, a trailblazer for openly gay athletes in the ’70s and ’80s, made her stance clear: “It’s not about excluding transgender women from winning ever,” she said after Thomas’ win. “But it is about not allowing them to win when they were not anywhere near winning as men.” Her words ignited intense debate across sports and LGBTQ communities.

Despite her legacy and support for LGBTQ rights, Martina’s views on transgender athletes have drawn backlash. She admitted, “I promised to keep quiet on the subject until I had properly researched it… well, I’ve now done that and, if anything, my views have strengthened.” Critics argue her research reinforces misconceptions rather than clarifying them.

Earlier this March, Martina didn’t hold back either. She boldly challenged how people perceive the transgender debate and questioned how much they really know about it.

Navratilova comes down hard on trans-advocate’s equality judgement

On March 11, the debate flared up again when an X user stood up for trans women, tweeting, “Trans women are also biological women. This s*** is so unnecessarily cruel to a marginalized group of women who already face extremely high levels of harassment, sexual assault and violence.” The original post was locked down, but Martina Navratilova didn’t hold back. She shot back with sharp honesty: “Another person who clearly failed Biology 101.”

This controversy isn’t new for Navratilova. Back in February, she openly expressed frustration after transgender athlete Maelle Jacques won a girls’ high jump event. The 9-time Wimbledon champ didn’t mince words, targeting Jacques directly by saying women’s sports shouldn’t be a platform for “failed male athletes.” She tweeted, “And I will keep saying this ad nauseam until the rules change- women’s sports are not a place for failed male athletes.” She’s definitely not shy about her stance.

Just last month, she jumped into another fiery X debate about informed consent and transgender identity in relationships. Someone argued that pulling out of an intimate relationship after learning the other person is trans counts as transphobia. Another user mocked this, saying, “You heard him, folks – informed consent is ‘transphobia.’” Navratilova added to the conversation with frustration: “They are getting more and more aggressive and more and more ridiculous.” She’s clearly fed up with the escalating drama.

Navratilova shows no signs of holding back. Her bold opinions highlight the ongoing clash over fairness and inclusion in sports. This debate is far from cooling down, and she’s making sure her voice stays front and center. So, what’s your take?

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