"I get here; I say what I want, and then I get excoriated for it" Martina Navratilova dives deep into her political activism on social media 

Martina Navratilova has divulged why she is active on social media platforms when it comes to addressing political issues.

Navratilova, often called one of the greatest tennis players of all time, retired from the sport with 18 Grand Slam singles titles to her name. She also lifted 31 women’s doubles Majors and 10 mixed doubles titles.

Apart from her on-court glory, Martina Navratilova also got recognition as one of the first openly lesbian international athletes in sporting history. Since coming out, the Czech-American has been a proponent of lesbian and gay rights.

The 67-year-old has also unceasingly championed the rights of women in sports. She has publicly spoken out against the inclusion of trans athletes in women’s sports in recent years.

About her activism, which is mainly evident on the social media site X, Navratilova stated that she believes in freedom of speech, a right she did not enjoy in her country of birth. She, however, also highlighted the backlash she frequently faces for making a stand.

Born in the present-day Czech Republic, Martina Navratilova accepted American citizenship in 1975 after fleeing her home country to escape the communist rule that prevailed at the time.

“Well, I left my country because I couldn't speak my mind. That was one of the reasons I wanted to be free to say what I want. And then I get here and then I say what I want, and then I get excoriated for it for different reasons,” she said on the ‘On with Kara Swisher’ podcast.

Navratilova added that she can express her unfiltered opinions on X unlike several of her interviews, where her comments are censored.

“Twitter [X] gives you the opportunity to speak your mind, without being censored. Because all the interviews that I've ever done, it was through the lens of that writer. And then they cut out half the stuff that I say. This is a chance to have no filter and no censorship,” she added.

Navratilova further stated that she first got acquainted with the platform when she participated in Dancing with the Stars 14, in 2012.

“I only got on Twitter when I was on Dancing with the Stars. They said, ‘Oh, you need to be on Twitter.’ And then I realized this is a great way to read the news and make a comment. That's how it started,” she added.

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"It was too toxic for me" – Martina Navratilova on taking a step back from social media

Martina Navratilova at the 2021 WTA Finals

A supporter of the Democratic Party, Martina Navratilova has also often denounced Republicans, including former US President Donald Trump. The tennis legend touched upon how she started being vocal about her political inclinations on the social media site.

“Then I got more and more political as, you know, when Trump started running, etc. And I was really getting into conversation. And I was like, ‘Oh, I'm going to do this. I'm going to do this,” she recalled.

Navratilova further conveyed that she is now taking a step back and pointed at the alleged rise in toxicity on Twitter ever since Elon Musk acquired the company and renamed it X.

“And now actually, I'm taking a step back,” she said on the podcast. “Now it's just become so toxic with Elon Musk allowing everybody on there, that I'm taking a step back.”

“I'm going back to just posting stuff that I like, or have a comment on and say something. And I'm not reading the comments anymore, because it was too toxic for me. I had to step away,” she added.