Martina Navratilova fears losing US citizenship after Donald Trump move
Martina Navratilova has lived in the United States since she was 18 years old but fears her citizenship could be taken away following Donald Trump's immigration raids
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova fears losing her US citizenship amid Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. The US president pledged to "launch the largest deportation programme of criminals in the history of America" during his campaign and his administration has since carried out extensive raids across the nation.
Trump's moves have sparked protests in California, New York, Philadelphia and Houston. Navratilova, 68, relocated to the States in 1975 at 18, leaving her native Czechoslovakia behind.
Her ambition to become the world No.1 in tennis was the driving force behind her move to the US. She previously confessed that she "couldn't do it under those circumstances at home". In 1981, she became a US citizen and in 2008, she regained her Czech citizenship, thus becoming a dual citizen.
However, Navratilova, who resides in Miami, Florida with her wife Julia Lemigova, expressed her ongoing fear that the citizenship she's held for nearly 45 years could be stripped from her.
Speaking to BBC's Amol Rajan, the Wimbledon champion said: "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 raided workplaces and even arrested and held tourists in detention citizens, including Italian content creator Khaby Lame. The 25-year-old is the world's most popular TikTok star with 162million followers but was detained at a Las Vegas airport for 'immigration violations'.
Tennis legend Navratilova didn't mince her words about Trump either. She declared: "I'm not loyal to [US President] Donald Trump," and went on to say she wouldn't choose America today if she were making the move now.
"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," she stated.
Navratilova has left an indelible mark on Wimbledon, with her legacy spanning 49 years. Her first victory at the All England Club was clinched in 1976 when she triumphed in the doubles with none other than Chris Evert, her fiercest competitor.
This marked the beginning of her extraordinary run at Wimbledon, where she secured a record nine titles – more than any other man or woman in the history of the sport.
The tennis legend amassed an Open Era record of 59 titles, including 18 singles, 31 women's doubles, and 10 mixed doubles. Navratilova's net worth is claimed to be a cool £18.6m.
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