Martina Navratilova won a record nine Wimbledon singles titles during her illustrious career and has been a US citizen since 1981
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova has expressed her fears that her U.S. citizenship could be revoked amidst President Donald Trump‘s aggressive immigration raids across the country.
During his campaign, Trump vowed to “launch the largest deportation program of criminals in the history of America.” Trump’s administration has since carried out extensive raids nationwide, sparking protests in California, New York, Philadelphia, and Houston. Navratilova, 68, relocated to the U.S. from Czechoslovakia in 1975 when she was just 18 years old.
Her ambition to become the world’s top tennis player motivated her move to the U.S., as she once confessed that she “couldn’t do it under those circumstances at home.. It was in 1981 that she became a U.S. citizen, and in 2008, she reacquired Czech citizenship, becoming a dual citizen.
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In a conversation with BBC’s Amol Rajan, the Wimbledon champion stated: “Everything is up in the air right now, and that’s the whole point. Everybody’s walking on eggshells, not knowing what’s going to happen.”
Immigration officers have conducted workplace raids and even detained tourists, including Italian content creator Khaby Lame. The 25-year-old, who boasts 162 million followers and is currently the most popular TikTok star, was held at a Las Vegas airport for “immigration violations.”
Martina Navratilova didn’t mince words about her feelings towards Trump, stating: “I’m not loyal to [US President] Donald Trump,” and went on to express that she would not have chosen to move to the United States under its current political climate.
“If I were now still in that same position [as in 1975] and I had to go live somewhere, it would not be America, because it’s not a democracy at the moment,” the tennis legend added.
Navratilova’s remarkable Wimbledon legacy spans nearly half a century, with her first victory at the prestigious All England Club occurring in 1976 when she clinched the doubles title with none other than Chris Evert, her fiercest competitor.
This marked the beginning of an extraordinary journey that saw her secure nine singles titles at Wimbledon, more than any other player, male or female, in the annals of tennis.
Her trophy cabinet boasts an Open Era record of 59 major titles, including 18 singles, 31 women’s doubles, and 10 mixed doubles victories, which played a significant role in her amassing over $22.6 million in prize money throughout her impressive 32-year career. Celebrity Net Worth reports that Navratilova’s net worth stands at a cool $25M.
A familiar face at Wimbledon, Navratilova is expected to grace the Grand Slam once again this month, as the tournament celebrates its 138th iteration.
