Martina Navratilova delivers 3-word defiant response to Donald Trump 'censorship' demand ahead of President's US Open appearance

Martina Navratilova recently delivered a defiant take on broadcasters having been urged to refrain from showing crowd reactions to President Donald Trump's appearance at the 2025 US Open men's singles final. Trump's most recent Flushing Meadows attendance came a decade back, when he came to watch a quarterfinal clash between the legendary Williams sisters.

The men's singles final at this year's US Open, set to take place on Sunday, August 7, will feature the top two ATP singles stars, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. With President Donald Trump set to grace the showpiece occasion, a recent report published by tennis journalist Ben Rothenberg included an excerpt from an internal email sent to broadcasters of the match from the leadership of the United States Tennis Association (USTA).

Through the email, the USTA asked the broadcasters to 'censor' reactions to Trump's presence at Flushing Meadows, including possible protests. Former WTA No. 1 in both singles and doubles, Martina Navratilova, took notice of the news and reacted to it on X (formerly Twitter), writing:

"Nobody told me:)"

Navratilova, for the longest time, has been one of the fiercest critics of Trump in the tennis world. Over the years, the legendary Czech-American has repeatedly questioned the President's character as well as his political views and decisions.

What happened when Donald Trump attended Venus and Serena Williams' quarterfinal clash at US Open 2015?

Donald Trump (center) watching the quarterfinal match between Venus and Serena Williams at the 2015 US Open (Source: Getty)

At the time of his high-profile visit to the 2015 US Open for the quarterfinal match between Venus and Serena Williams, Donald Trump was the GOP presidential front-runner. On that particular occasion, Trump, accompanied by wife Melania, was met with boos as the couple was entering the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Serena Williams, who was the defending women's singles champion at Flushing Meadows a decade ago, would eventually dispatch older sister Venus 6-2, 1-6, 6-3.

Carlos Alcaraz, set to battle Jannik Sinner in the 2025 US Open men's singles final, has expressed positivity about Trump's attendance, telling reporters at a press conference:

"I will try not to think about it. I don't want myself to be nervous because of it. It’s great for tennis to have the president into the final."

Sinner and Alcaraz also contested the finals of this year's French Open and Wimbledon Championships, with the Spaniard having come out on top at Roland Garros and the Italian clinching the title at SW19.

About the author

Sudipto is a Tennis journalist at Sportskeeda holding a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. He has an experience of 3+ years across the market research, travel, health, lifestyle and sports sectors.

Sudipto has followed Tennis since the early 2000s and stays up-to-date with the sport by following both active and former Tennis players, and seasoned journalists. He also follows ATP and WTA updates, watches documentaries and interviews of professionals, and only reads esteemed publications. He sources all information for his articles only from credible publications stays away from unsubstantiated claims. In just a matter of 3 months, he has gained a readership of almost 2 million at Sportskeeda!

Sudipto admires Rafael Nadal for his fiercely competitive on-court nature and his ability to make memorable comebacks after injury layoffs. The Spaniard may be the GOAT for him, but he also respects the accomplishments of Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.

Beyond Tennis, Sudipto also has an interest in music, football, and video games alongside cooking and traveling.

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Edited by Sudipto Pati