Martina Navratilova slams science magazine for printing "utter nonsense" and denying sex-based differences in sports

Martina Navratilova recently blasted popular science magazine 'Scientific American' for publishing an article that claimed there are no sex-based differences between male and female athletes.

Navratilova, who won 18 Grand Slam singles titles and 59 Major titles overall, is no stranger to the challenges and controversies that women face in sports. She came out as a lesbian in 1981 and has been a vocal advocate for lesbian and gay rights, as well as for women’s equality and empowerment in sports.

The article argued that the gender gap in sports performance is not due to biological factors, but to social and cultural biases. A quote from their November 2023 issue read:

"The inequity between male and female athletes is a result not of inherent biological differences between the sexes but of biases in how they are treated in sports."

The article was met with criticism and backlash from many readers, who accused the publication of ignoring facts and reality and promoting a political agenda. Among them was Navratilova, who took to social media on Sunday, October 22, to express her outrage and disbelief at the magazine’s stance. Navratilova wrote on X (formerly Twitter):

"Hey @sciam - how the h*ll can you print this utter nonsense??? I mean how dare you. A name change is needed to Unscientific American."

---

Martina Navratilova dismisses gender influence in Billie Jean King’s landmark triumph against Bobby Riggs in Battle of the Sexes

Martina Navratilova at the 2022 US Open

Martina Navratilova recently implied that gender identities were irrelevant in Billie Jean King’s historic win over Bobby Riggs in the Battle of Sexes.

King, who was 29 years old then, faced Riggs, who was 55 years old, at Houston Astrodome on September 20, 1973. King, who was fighting for equal pay for men and women in tennis at that time, beat her male rival in straight sets.

Navratilova got into a dispute with an X (formerly Twitter) user recently about the inclusion of transgender athletes in women’s sports events.

"In 2019 June Eastwood became the first openly MTF #transgender athlete to compete in NCAA Division I cross country, competing for the University of Montana women’s team."

To which Navratilova replied:

"It was wrong then and is still wrong now and always will be wrong."

The user disagreed with the 67-year-old’s remark and asserted that the WTA founder would have beaten Riggs even if he was a trans woman.

"I respectfully disagree. A person's capability in sport has nothing to do with their assigned or true gender. If Bobby Riggs was a trans woman, Billie Jean King still would have won."

Martina Navratilova said that Riggs would have beaten any woman player then if he had been 35 years old. She stated that his sex was not the factor he got defeated in the Battle of Sexes. Martina Navratilova wrote:

"Because Bobby was too old. A 35 year old Bobby would have beaten all of us. Gender identity doesn’t hit the ball- the actual body hits the ball. The male physical advantage doesn’t go away with a gender different identity- I thought that was obvious."