Martina
Navratilova swiftly refuted accusations that she had used steroids during her
professional tennis career to gain a competitive advantage on the court.
The
Czech-American legend found herself facing allegations of using controlled
substances on social media amid discussions about her opposition to including
transgender athletes in women's sports.
Navratilova recently criticized the
USTA for allowing a transgender woman to compete in a senior tennis event,
citing the unfair advantage transgender women may have over biological women.
A Twitter
user agreed with Navratilova's opinions but also accused her of using steroids
in the past to gain a physical edge over her competitors. The 66-year-old was
outraged by the accusations and threatened legal action, fiercely asserting
that she had never dabbled in such substances in her life.
"Should
I have my lawyers pay you a visit? I never touched the stuff, now go
away," tweeted Navratilova.
This
exchange occurred after Martina Navratilova spoke out against the USTA's
decision to allow Alicia Rowley, a self-identified woman, to compete and win
the women's tennis competition in the 55 and over category at the USTA Grass
Court Women's National Championships.
Navratilova
argued that women's tennis is not for men who could not compete against their
own sex and questioned whether such classification would be allowed in bigger
tournaments like the US Open.
"Come
on @USTA: women’s tennis is not for failed male athletes, no matter the age.
This is not right and not fair. Would this be allowed at the US Open this
month? Only self-ID’d? I don’t think so...." tweeted Navratilova, making
her concerns clear.
Martina Navratilova has emerged as one of the staunchest opponents of transgender inclusion in women's sports, a topic that has become increasingly debated.
The 18-time Grand Slam champion has consistently cited biological differences as her main argument against allowing transgender women to compete in women's sports.
During her own professional career, Navratilova was coached by Renee Richards, a transgender woman who was also a former tennis player.