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Fifty years after defecting from communist Czechoslovakia to pursue tennis greatness, Martina Navratilova says the United States no longer resembles the democracy that once welcomed her. In a new BBC interview, the tennis legend reflected on her 1975 decision to leave her homeland — and said that if she were 18 today, she would not choose America.
“I’m not loyal to Donald Trump,” she told the BBC's Amol Rajan in a recent interview, adding that she fears the US has become a totalitarian state and that she “wouldn’t be allowed in.”
Navratilova, now 67, remains a prominent voice in both sport and politics. As a dual Czech-American citizen, her comments carry particular weight for Czech audiences, who recall her daring Cold War defection and the price she paid to chase her dreams in the West.
Today, she warns, the political atmosphere in the US has grown hostile toward migrants and dissidents — echoing the repressive conditions she once fled.
Defecting for freedom, now warning of its decline
In 1975, Navratilova became one of the most prominent Cold War defectors when she walked away from her native Czechoslovakia during the US Open in New York. At just 18, she risked her future and family ties to pursue tennis success in a free society. She told reporters at the time that she couldn’t achieve her full potential under a regime that limited her movement, ambition, and voice.
Her gamble paid off. Navratilova went on to become world number one in both singles and doubles, holding records that still stand. Yet the freedom she sought in America — freedom of speech, opportunity, and self-expression — is now, in her view, under threat.
In the BBC interview, she described today’s US as "a totalitarian state," accusing the Trump administration of punishing those who fail to conform to its agenda. “People are getting chucked out by Homeland Security… because they’re not kissing the ring,” she said.
Navratilova's remarks come amid increased scrutiny of Trump-era immigration policies, including travel bans and raids. She worries that the country has turned inward and that intolerance is on the rise.
“The US is definitely turning against migrants,” she warned. "If I were now still in that same position as in 1975, I would not choose America."
Still agrees with Trump on one key issue
Despite her criticism of the US political climate, Navratilova remains deeply involved in American public life — often stirring debate with her outspoken views. One of the most divisive issues she has weighed in on is transgender participation in women's sports.
A longtime advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, Navratilova has also drawn criticism for asserting that trans women retain physical advantages that make competition in women’s categories unfair. It's one area where she agrees with Donald Trump's stance.
"There is no ban on trans women in sports," she clarified, "but they need to compete in the proper category, which is the male category. It’s that simple.”
She supports recent UK legal rulings that define womanhood based on biological sex and has called on tennis authorities to adopt stricter criteria. At the same time, she stresses that disagreement must not lead to bullying or exclusion. “There should be no ostracism… but male bodies need to play in male sports,” she said.
Navratilova also spoke candidly about her recent health battles. Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010 and again in 2023 — this time also in her throat — she described the ordeal as “hell.” But after aggressive treatment, she says she’s now cancer-free and more determined than ever to live in the moment.
“Cancer taught me to appreciate every day… and not sweat the small stuff.”
