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As the 2024 United States presidential election fast approaches, the nation will soon be deciding who should lead the country for the next four years. Prominent tennis stars like Coco Gauff, Andy Roddick, and Martina Navratilova, among others, have also lent their voices to the political debate.
Donald Trump secured the Republican Party's nomination by a significant margin, choosing Ohio Senator JD Vance as his vice-presidential running mate.
The Democratic Party, on the other hand, will be represented by Vice President Kamala Harris, who entered the race after President Joe Biden stepped down. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is Harris's running mate.
In addition to the presidential election, voters will also elect new members of Congress, further raising the stakes for this pivotal moment in U.S. politics.
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With the the action heating up in the presidential race which is now less than a month away, here's a quick look at a few tennis stars who've publicly endorsed Kamala Harris as the election nears.
#5 Pam Shriver
American tennis doubles legend Pam Shriver recently voiced her thoughts on the 2024 U.S. presidential election. She took to X (formerly Twitter), reflecting on her experience as a first-time voter at 18 when she had two strong candidates to choose from, Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter.
Nearly 44 years later, Shriver expressed disappointment that her children, now old enough to vote, only have one "decent" candidate, Kamala Harris.
Shriver wrote:
"I recall in 1980 at 18 years of age I had a choice to vote for Carter or Reagan- two decent stable candidates for President. Now in 2024 my 3 kids can vote for president for 1st time and they only have one decent and stable choice. @KamalaHarris"
Shriver enjoyed an illustrious 18-year career on the tennis tour, amassing 133 WTA titles, which included 21 singles titles and 111 doubles crowns. She captured 22 Grand Slam doubles titles and one mixed doubles title. Shriver also won an Olympic gold medal at the 1988 Seoul Games, alongside Zina Garrison.
In 1984, she and Martina Navratilova made history as the only women’s pair to achieve a calendar-year Grand Slam, winning all four major tournaments that year.
#4 Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King has been vocal in her support for Kamala Harris in the upcoming presidential election, having endorsed her on multiple occasions. She recently posted a one-minute clip on X, praising Harris's leadership qualities and her work done in the government so far.
As part of her statement, King said:
"This November I'm casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Waltz. Kamala Harris has a history of strong leadership and an unwavering commitment to public service, as a prosecutor, attorney general, senator, and vice president. She fights hard for Americans, she will be a president for all people, no matter what their race, class, sexual identity, or party line."
King also co-chairs the "Athletes for Harris" campaign, alongside sports icons like Magic Johnson and Candace Parker. The campaign highlights the influence athletes have on key voter groups, encouraging them to mobilize these blocs.
Earlier this year, in March, King and Harris came together to celebrate women in sports as part of Women's History Month.
#3 Andy Roddick
While Andy Roddick has not publicly endorsed Kamala Harris, he has spoken out against her opponent, Donald Trump. In September, the former US Open champion strongly criticized Trump after the Republican candidate claimed the presidential debate against Harris was "rigged."
Trump had accused Harris of having prior knowledge of the debate and questions for it, while also criticizing the News moderators while calling for them to also be fired.
In a post on X, Roddick wrote:
"Everything is rigged. Always someone else’s fault ……. Got the Q’s before is a fun storyline that going around. Who could’ve guessed they were gonna talk about economy, immigration, abortion, Jan 6, Ukraine etc?"
Roddick has also supported Taylor Swift's endorsement of Harris, a move that earned praise from tennis legend Martina Navratilova as well.
#2 Martina Navratilova
Martina Navratilova has long been a vocal critic of Donald Trump and continues to oppose his ideologies and approach to governance.
She recently described Kamala Harris as "the real deal," while labeling Trump a "pretender" on X.
Navratilova also backed Taylor Swift when the singer endorsed Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, playfully thanking her for making Trump’s night "worse" with her endorsement.
Additionally, Martina Navratilova praised legendary gymnast Simone Biles for donating $4 million to Harris's presidential campaign.
#1 Coco Gauff
Coco Gauff has previously lauded Kamala Harris as "inspiring" and voiced her hopes for Harris to win the upcoming election.
She also expressed her excitement at seeing a woman of color on the ballot, describing how proud it would make her to witness Harris potentially become the first female president of the U.S.
Gauff said:
"I think it is really incredible, you know, no matter who you're voting for, who you stand for, it is really incredible to see how far this country has come and people of color, Black people in general. It's really inspiring to see someone on that ballot. Yeah, honestly it takes the works of many others to pave the way. Yeah, I'm excited that I'm able to see this in my lifetime because I know many others didn't get that chance to."
Having met Harris once before, Gauff has stated that she hopes to meet her again, this time with plenty more questions in mind. Harris, in turn, praised Gauff after her US Open victory last year, calling her an "inspiration to millions of little girls watching."
