Martina Navratilova insists controversial Olympics boxer Imane Khelif should be referred to as a male despite claims to the contrary

Martina Navratilova recently reiterated her position on Algerian Olympic gold medal-winning boxer Imane Khelif. Navratilova opined that there's sufficient evidence to suggest that Khelif should be referred to as a male, and not a female.

The Czech-American's latest take on the controversial boxer stemmed from an argument in which a staunch supporter of the Algerian dismissed the lingering question marks over Khelif's sex.

On Thursday, December 26, Jennifer Sey, the founder of casual athletic clothing brand XX-XY Athletics, expressed her dismay at Imane Khelif finishing in third position on The Associated Press' list of the top female athletes of 2024. Sey aired her frustrations on X (formerly Twitter), where another user reacted, echoing Sey's sentiments.

However, an Imane Khelif fan countered these takes and eventually labeled those questioning the Algerian's sex "bullies". Here, Martina Navratilova, a former World No. 1 in both women's singles and doubles tennis, joined the argument and clapped back at the Khelif fan:

"They both (referring to Khelif and Chinese Taipei's Lin Yu-ting) failed the sex cheek swab test. Which part of XY do you not understand?"

The fan continued arguing with Navratilova, suggesting that athletes like Khelif and Ling are being subject to intense scrutiny "because they don't look feminine enough to be recognized as women".

"This has never been properly established. What we see is a world that has decided these born female, lived female athletes are being attacked because they don’t LOOK feminine enough to be recognized as women. That is a slap in the face for GAY women," the fan wrote.

Navratilova issued a further response to the fan, writing:

"In that gay woman who didn’t look feminine. But I always was and still obviously am a female. Imane is a male. How she was brought up or what her passport says not does not change the biological fact of being a male. But I feel like you are not listening at all."

The 18-time singles Grand Slam champion recently expressed her own astonishment at Khelif finishing third in The Associated Press' list of best female athletes in 2024. Navratilova also shut down a fan who suggested that the Czech-American was tarnishing her legacy with her attacks against the Algerian.

---

"My legacy remains untarnished" - Martina Navratilova's defiant response to Imane Khelif fan

In Picture: Martina Navratilova (Source: Getty)

Imane Khelif being voted as The Associated Press' best female athlete of the year behind Caitlin Clark and Simone Biles left Martina Navratilova shellshocked. After the Czech-American took notice of the development, she reacted on X.

"Wtaf???" Navratilova questioned.

Soon, a Khelif fan fired back at Navratilova and opined that the Czech-American was doing damage to her own legacy through her criticism of the Algerian. However, the former World No. 1 refuted the fan's opinion with a stinging response.

"Imane is a male. Try again. My legacy remains untarnished, whatever it might be, thank you," Navratilova wrote.

Earlier this month, the 18-time singles Major winner controversially claimed that Angela Carini, one of Khelif's opponents at the 2024 Paris Olympics, was "robbed."