In return to Fort Worth, Martina Navratilova candid about transgender athlete debate
Shortly before receiving a lifetime achievement award, Martina Navratilova was politely asked by the event organizer not to be “political” with her acceptance speech.
This is the equivalent of asking a cat not to meow, a dog not to bark, or Jerry Jones to pass on an interview.
That request stumped Martina, who is known almost as much for her candor as her tennis.
Her internal reaction was that this award was not just for tennis, but also “more for off the court,” she said.
“I’m a lesbian defector,” she said.
By nature, everything she does is political.
“My people tell me, ‘Just shut up and talk about tennis?’” she said. “I’m like, ‘Yeah. No.’”
God love her.
Martina shared this story this past week during a private luncheon inside Dickies Arena at the WTA Finals. She serves as a color analyst for the event on Amazon Prime’s coverage, which is available in the United Kingdom.
This event, which concludes Monday evening, is Martina’s first trip back to Fort Worth since she lived here, from 1984 to 1988.
She is 66, and remains fiercely Martina. Unafraid of who she is, and what she thinks. If you don’t like it, that’s your problem.
The following is a combination of the Q&A Martina had with a moderator at the luncheon, and her session with five members of the media.
Where did your willingness to speak out come from?
My family. We spoke what we thought. There is not that much of a filter and I had to learn one or I’d get in trouble at school, or the (Soviet Union’s sport) federation. I always had to watch myself. Who do I tell this political joke to, to make sure you don’t get called on by the authorities. I appreciate free speech.
You have been outspoken about the transgender issue in sports; Texas’ law says the participant must play according to the gender at birth. What are your thoughts about that?
Youth sports is different from adult or elite sports, but it’s still a matter of fairness first and foremost. Some people are all about fairness first, and inclusion second, but sports is about fairness if nothing else and the categories actually allow you to include more people.
What we have found working with this group, Women’s Sports Policy Working Group, that I have been a part of for almost three years is that no mitigation will take away the advantage once male puberty has occurred.
So no amount of medically administered suppressant can take away the advantage between a male and a female?
It doesn’t work. They found even after 10 years of taking hormones there is still an advantage. And by the way they are still five inches taller no matter what, which obviously height is an advantage in most sports. And the muscle mass, and skeleton structure. None of that changes.
Some people are advocating for self ID only, and nothing else. Clearly that would be the end of women’s sports if that was allowed.
I’m not saying trans people would be cheating on any front, but straight people might be cheating. That is not a viable alternative.
I think we are heading towards a women’s biological category only, and maybe an open (category) for everybody. However you identify.
Youth sports, who cares? Before puberty sets in there should be no issue there. There are no financial rewards, or you’re getting scholarships. It’s way too early.
Once you get into high school you have a situation where high school kids were raised as boys now are raised as girls with no mitigation. Girls are intimidated by that, and women.
I’ve spoken to several athletes that had to compete against (University of Pennsylvania swimmer) Lea Thomas, and I’m like, ‘Really?’
It’s a complicated issue, and I think the solution may be a trans category if there are enough.
But sports is defined by categories, and the No. 1 divider is sex, males and females. Then you go to age, weight classes for some sports, etc. That’s how it is.
We need a federal rule for everybody, especially at the elite level. It’s a work in progress and trying to find a solution, and including everyone is not it.
What has this trip been like for you to come back to Fort Worth?
It’s been great. I’ve seen so many friends that I have not seen for a long time.
When you lived here in Fort Worth, did your house really have a slide that went from your bedroom into a pool?
It was from the gym. I specifically built it so I wouldn’t have to take a shower. I worked out, got on the slide and I’m in the pool. I don’t sweat. If I was really sweaty, I’d take a shower and then slide down into the pool.
It was fun. It was an enclosed slide. And there was a basketball basket at the end of the pool. I would slide down the pool and shoot it. We were doing the ninja stuff.
You famously played pickup basketball when you lived in Dallas and in Fort Worth; where did you pick it up?
I was in a relationship with Nancy Lieberman. She taught me how to make a layup. I threw the ball around when I was in Czechoslovakia, but there was no one to teach it. I had no idea what I was doing.
So I learned from the best. I loved it; 1-on-1, 2-on-2, full court, little man/big man, 3-on-3. We ran and ran and ran. We played at the Country Day gym full court until we couldn’t walk anymore.
Do you think Naomi Osaka will come back?
I hope so. What is going on with her? Is she not playing at all? Maybe it was too much too soon.
But, you know, that’s when the gut check comes; do you really love the sport? It comes back to that. It’s the most important thing. It’s a tough sport.
There are so many more demands on people’s time, and at the same time you have a lot of money so you can control it and have people help you.
For six years I did it all myself. Booked all my travel, driving myself to the airport, picking up the rental car, driving to the event. And then to the next town.
Nowadays, so much is done for the players. Because there is so much more attention, and everything is magnified. At the same time, people forget about it. Tomorrow, they are on to the new story.
So you are a flash in the pan, and nothing is as big of a deal as they make it out to be. It’s a big deal right now, but in the afternoon it will be something else.
I think the players need to just stay in the moment, and if they love the sport, great, if they don’t, that’s OK, too.
But figure it out, make up your mind because time’s running out.
