"Silence is consent, and most of the time that's not acceptable" - Martina Navratilova on using social media to stand up for her beliefs

Martina Navratilova is among the most active tennis players, past or present, on social media. The Czech-American tennis legend believes that celebrities, in general, should use the platform to have a positive impact on their legion of fans and followers and express their beliefs.

Navratilova strongly opined that 'silence' regarding a matter is equivalent to 'consent' and urged fellow celebrities to use social media to speak up more often.

She spoke about her own active use of social media, stating that while she did not "sign up to be famous," she realized the importance of using her stature to stand up for her beliefs through social media. The nine-time Wimbledon singles champion opened up about the same during a recent interview with Dr. Lipi Roy.

"I didn't sign up to be famous, I just played tennis," Martina Navratilova said in video posted on Dr. Lipi Roy's YouTube page. "But social media gave me the platform and I use it quite a lot."

"It depends on the personality of that person and the specific situation of course. I think when you have that platform, you've got to use it, because silence is consent, and most of the time that's not acceptable. So I wish more people will take it seriously," Navratilova added.

The 18-time Grand Slam singles champion further stated that celebrities do not have a specific responsibility to use social media and other platforms to reach out to people and express their beliefs on important matters. However, she believes they should still use it as they have a great opportunity to create an impact, and feels most celebrities do so.

"I don't think they have a responsibility, but they have the capability of having that platform and making good on that, making a difference in people's lives," she said. "I think most of them do take it seriously and do go public and try to help out people, whether they're indirectly or directly linked to them."

Athletes do more for communities than other celebrities: Martina Navratilova

Martina Navratilova during an exhibition event at the BNP Paribas WTA Finals: Singapore 2014

Martina Navratilova, the winner of a staggering 59 Grand Slams across singles and doubles, including 16 US Open and 12 Australian Open titles, believes that athletes tend to contribute more towards their communities and for public welfare, as compared to other celebrities.

Naratilova stressed that athletes have more charitable organizations and foundations and raise more money for good causes, putting it down to the fact that they come from pure talent and hard work and not through influence.

"Overall, particularly athletes, I think because we got to where we are because we are good and not because we know somebody or we came from the right family," she said. "I think because of that, you see a lot of athletes have a charitable organization, or they raise money, or they do a lot for the community where they live as well as the world, more so than perhaps other celebrities. It's an opportunity and you should use it."

Earlier this month, Martina Navratilova rang the NASDAQ bell in New York City’s Times Square to kick off Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The 65-year-old herself is a breast cancer survivor and often uses her platform to raise awareness regarding the matter.