Martina Navratilova applauds Riley Gaines for standing by her decision to sue NCAA over inclusion of transgender athletes in women's sports

Martina Navratilova has backed Riley Gaines' decision to sue the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) over its move to allow transgender athletes to participate in women's sporting events.

Gaines, a former NCAA swimmer, has been a fierce critic of transgender athletes competing in the women's category. The 23-year-old recently featured as a panelist on Piers Morgan Uncensored, where she spoke about her and 15 other student athletes' decision to take legal action against the NCAA.

British radio DJ and presenter James Barr was also a part of the panel. At one point during the show, Barr, who is a vocal advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community, said that he wants everyone to be kind to everyone. This drew a response from Gaines, who said (00:10):

"It is not kind to ask a young girl to undress in front of a man. That is not what kindness is."

Gaines went on to justify the legal proceedings undertaken against the NCAA. According to her, allowing transgender women to compete with biological women is taking away opportunities from the latter. Barr interrupted Gaines and asked her about her views on lesbians competing in women's sports. A smiling Gaines replied:

"They (lesbians) are women." (1:58)

Gaines later took to social media and slammed Barr for his comments during the show.

"Newsflash...it's not "kind" to ask a young girl to undress in front of a naked, intact man & what a spectacular display of idiocy to ask "but what about lesbians?" Lesbians are sick of being your pawn," Gaines wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Navratilova, who came out as a lesbian in the early 1980s, put up a post of her own as she supported Gaines and ridiculed Barr.

"Be kind my you know what… and what an insult from that (fill in blank) with his What about lesbians insult??? Well done Riley!" Navratilova wrote.

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Martina Navratilova on Iga Swiatek: "She is the best frontrunner we have had since Serena Williams"

Martina Navratilova at the Internazionali BNL D'Italia 2023

Martina Navratilova recently assessed Iga Swiatek's rampant run of form after the Pole won the women's singles title at the 2024 BNP Paribas Open. Swiatek defeated Maria Sakkari 6-4, 6-0 in the final.

According to the 67-year-old, women's tennis has not had a better frontrunner than Swiatek since Serena Williams, who retired from the sport in 2022.

"When she (Swiatek) won the first set (against Sakkari), lights out. I mean, she is the best front-runner we have had in the game for a long time, since Serena Williams," Martina Navratilova told Sky Sports Tennis (00:12).

Swiatek is now set to start her Miami Open journey with a second-round match against Italy's Camila Giorgi on Friday (March 22).