Latest news with #MartinaNavratilova
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Tennis Icon Martina Navratilova Rips Donald Trump After Viral Golf Cheating Clip Surfaces
Martina Navratilova (Image Source: Getty) Tennis legend Martina Navratilova recently called out U.S. President Donald Trump after a video showed him possibly cheating at golf. The clip, which spread quickly online, caused a big stir, and Navratilova's sharp words added to the drama. As a famous former tennis player, her comments get a lot of attention. This article delves into the golf controversy, her reaction, and the reasons behind her frequent criticism of Trump. Martina Navratilova slams President Donald Trump's golf claim On July 28, 2025, a video popped up on X showing Donald Trump at his Trump Turnberry golf course in Scotland. In the clip, a caddie seems to drop a ball in a better spot near a bunker, suggesting Trump cheated to improve his shot. Navratilova, a Tennis Channel analyst, didn't hold back, posting on X, " Can't imagine how bad the other golfers are… hard to beat this cheater though. ' Her comment referenced Trump's golf game and other aspects of his life, including his business and personal matters. A considerable number of users supported Navratilova, and some of them were even joking about Trump and his golfing habit. The current incident is not the first time she has attacked him because she has regularly attacked his actions. The golf clip has kept their public clash in the spotlight. Why does Martina Navratilova keep calling out Donald Trump? Martina Navratilova stopped playing tennis in 2006 and is never afraid to speak her mind, especially about Donald Trump. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Average Cost To Rent A Private Jet May Surprise You (View Prices) Private Jet I Search Ads Learn More Undo She has also criticised his decisions with X, such as his immigration policies and bans on transgender athletes, since his first term as president. Indicatively, in March 2025, she tweeted at him about golfing even as he was supposed to reduce the prices of groceries because he was not addressing real matters. With 18 Grand Slams, she's a big name, so her opinions carry weight. She once agreed with Trump on keeping transgender women out of women's sports, but dislikes his leadership style so much she called it 'totalitarian' in a BBC interview. Her latest comments about the golf video show she's not afraid to challenge him. Fans love her boldness, but some think she should stick to tennis. Either way, her voice keeps sparking talks about fairness and honesty in public life. The video of golf cheating has once again drawn new focus on the actions of Trump, and Navratilova is at the forefront of condemnation. Having fought for her convictions, Navratilova remains relevant till now, despite years after quitting the game of tennis. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
IOL News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Venus Williams: A global inspiration in an unjust world order
VenVenus Williams became the second-oldest woman ever to win a WTA Tour-level singles match, since Martina Navratilova back in Williams with her Barbie doll. Image: Instagram THIS past week, astonishing tennis champion Venus Williams became the second-oldest woman ever to win a WTA Tour-level singles match, since Martina Navratilova back in 2004. In a brilliant display, she beat Peyton Stearns 6-3, 6-4 at the Washington DC Open. This marks her winning streak following her first doubles match in three years, where she solidified a win at the DC Open alongside Hailey Baptiste this week. When Williams stepped onto the court this past week and clinched yet another hard-fought win, it was not just a personal triumph; it was a thunderous reminder of what resilience looks like in a world that has too often sidelined female athletes. For Black women in particular, Williams's legacy stretches far beyond the boundaries of a tennis court. It speaks to grit, excellence, and the persistent fight against a system built to exclude us — particularly those who are both Black and female. As a Black South African woman, I don't just see Venus. I see myself. I see the outstanding Caster Semenya. I see our stunning Banyana Banyana team. I see the first World Athletics Indoor Championships winner, Prudence Sekgodiso. And so, so many more. In the same breath, however, I also see the underfunded, overlooked, and underestimated athletes across our continent who rise despite various, arduous barriers set against them. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Being a woman in the professional sports world is incredibly tough. However, being a Black woman in sport — and any other sphere of society — is a double disadvantage. Racism and sexism work together to create nearly impenetrable walls. Whether it is access to elite training facilities, sponsorships, or fair media coverage, they are constantly demanded to do more with less, and then criticised for not doing enough. Black South African sportswomen face a specific set of challenges: historical racial inequalities, under-resourced development programmes in townships and rural areas, and deeply embedded gender biases. They are told to be grateful for crumbs when in reality they deserve seats at the main table. Globally and locally, the gender pay gap in sports is staggering. While male athletes rake in millions of rand, women are left scrambling for basic sponsorship. When Banyana Banyana qualified for the 2023 Fifa Women's World Cup, the prize money promised to the team was barely a fraction of what the men's team would receive for a similar feat, despite the women outperforming them in global rankings and progress. This is not just a domestic problem. When Williams fought for equal prize money at Wimbledon — and won — it took years of hard-won activism, even with her legendary status. How much longer will it take for African women athletes to receive the most basic recognition? The limitations in access also coincide with the limitations of women's rights. Access to sport starts early, at a foundational stage. In many South African communities, however, young girls are commonly discouraged from participating. Sport is still seen as a 'man's game', and their facilities are either unavailable or prioritised for males. When you add the constant threat of gender-based violence, you begin to understand why many promising girls drop out of sports altogether. Even at professional levels, these basic rights are often denied. Female athletes lack access to legal support, maternity protections, and even healthcare. Many of our most formidable athletes retire early, not because of injuries or that their talent has faded, but because the system simply pushes them out. Many of the challenges women face in sports are also a direct result of poor policies. While there have been moves toward policy reforms, implementation remains weak. Gender equity clauses are often tokenistic — included in sporting federations' documentation that demands international compliance — but rarely enforced. Funding for women's sports remains minimal, and when cuts are made, women's programmes are the first to go. Furthermore, sports organisations love to make the widespread claim that if female athletes do not generate the same amount of viewership and visibility as male sports, they are undeserving of the standardised remuneration. This is nonsense and speaks to a wider problem of a general minimisation of female sports, from marketing to administration, and beyond. Ultimately, we do not need more slogans or one-off 'Women in Sport' campaigns. We need meaningful, transformative, measurable action. In fact, the most visible injustice is the lack of visibility of female sports. When South Africa hosted and dominated the 2022 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon), the coverage was scarce and begrudging. More recently, Banyana Banyana made it to the semi-finals of the 2025 Wafcon. The coverage was undeniably minute! Which is particularly shameful, considering that the entire soccer world has recently concluded its most formidable competitions — such as the Premier League, the European League, and the Fifa Club World Cup — where it was a prime opportunity to garner viewership and sales for Wafcon. All of this, which is easily comparable to the blanket coverage that men's teams receive during even minor tournaments, is truly despicable. According to Change Our Game, 2022/2023 statistics, women's coverage represented an average of 19% of all coverage across the top five sports. Globally, only about 4% of sports media coverage is devoted to women's sports. Additionally, there is a significant problematisation in the lack of depth in the coverage of women's sports compared to men's sports. Change Our Game outlined that women were commonly described as 'quiet achievers', 'hard workers' and 'punching above their weight'. This speaks to an issue with the socialisation of women that sees them as non-athletes, as physically inadequate, and as the exception to a 'male game'. The media's silence certainly is not neutral. It directly shapes public perceptions, sponsorship interest, and the legitimacy of women athletes overall. It impacts the place of female sports in the world and restricts them to a second-class position. Like so many female athletes across the world, Williams's victory was a spark — but what we need is a wildfire. We need more Black women in boardrooms, coaching, policymaking positions, sports journalism, media, and beyond. We need equity, not pity. We need representation, not mere symbolism. Waiting costs so much more than investing. For every 'Venus' in the global spotlight, there are thousands of women on dusty fields and cracked courts across Africa, fighting for the chance to compete. They do not just want access; they deserve it, and they demand it. This is not merely about access, it's about justice. Until sport dismantles its barriers and reclaims its promise of equity, it will fail those who need it most. And this plight will not stop until sports truly becomes what it was always meant to be: fair, inclusive, and open to all. In the words of basketball star (WNBA) A'ja Wilson: 'Adversity is like fertiliser for greatness.' But greatness isn't grown on barren soil — resources must come before results. * Tswelopele Makoe is a gender and social justice activist and editor at Global South Media Network. She is a researcher, columnist, and an Andrew W Mellon scholar at the Desmond Tutu Centre for Religion and Social Justice, UWC. The views expressed are her own. ** The views expressed here do not reflect those of the Sunday Independent, IOL, or Independent Media. Get the real story on the go: Follow the Sunday Independent on WhatsApp.
News24
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- News24
Love all! Venus Williams serves up victory on court and romance with fiancé Andrea Preti
The older of the Williams sisters made a triumphant return to tennis after a 16-month break, driven by the encouragement and support of her long-rumoured fiancé, actor Andrea Preti. Venus had an extended hiatus during which she underwent a medical procedure last July to remove fibroids from her uterus. Venus made a strong showing at the DC Open in Washington this week. The 45-year-old tennis star won her doubles match on Monday, then defeated 23-year-old Peyton Stearns 6-3, 6-4 in singles on Tuesday. Throughout both matches, she showcased her signature powerfulserves and groundstrokes. The seven-time Grand Slam champion and Olympic gold medallist had secured four Grand Slam titles before Peyton was even born. But this time it's not just her tennis victories making headlines. Venus is also winning at the game of love, as she's confirmed the long-standing rumours about her engagement to actor Andrea (37). 'My fiancé is here, and he really encouraged me to keep playing. He's never seen me play,' Venus casually revealed. Venus is now the second-oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match, after Martina Navratilova, who achieved this feat at age 47 in 2004. She told the Tennis Channel that her focus was to play well and win the match. 'You can still play a good match and lose the match. It's just about putting it all together. It's so rewarding to come back after a layoff and injuries.' With her Danish-born fiancé in the audience, Venus was aware that not only were the eyes of the tennis world on her but also the loving gaze of Andrea, who moved to Italy with his family as a teenager. As one-half of the most famous sibling duos in sporting history, alongside her sister Serena, Venus has spent much of her life in the spotlight but has kept her romantic life private. She dated model Elio Pis in 2012 and Nicholas Hammond in 2017 before finding her perfect match in Andrea. The couple were first linked in July last year when they were spotted boating together in Nerano, Italy, along the Amalfi Coast. Since then, they have kept their relationship private, though they were seen together again in January 2025. That same month Venus shared a selfie on her Instagram of them on holiday in the Bahamas, calling her now-fiancé 'the best company'. Engagement rumours followed, sparked by photos of the tennis legend wearing a diamond ring in Rome. Weeks later she was seen wearing the same ring at Milan Fashion Week. The man who captured Venus' heart has spent much of his career as a model but has also made a name for himself as an actor and producer. According to his IMDb biography, Andrea studied acting at the Susan Batson Academy in New York City, after which he landed roles in TV, film and commercials. He wrote, acted in and directed 2015's Italian movie, One More Day, and has appeared in the Italian TV series A Professor. More recently he starred in the 2023 Italian film Temptation and participated in the Italian reality series La Talpa. Grand Slam winner Rennae Stubbs asked Venus in the post-match interview how Andrea has supported her comeback journey. Venus glowingly admitted there were many moments when she simply wanted to relax, but her soon-to-be husband 'encouraged me to get through this'. She is set to face Magdalena Frech in the second round on Thursday, 24 July, and with the announcement of her engagement, one can expect wedding preparations to be on the horizon soon after.
RNZ News
6 days ago
- Sport
- RNZ News
Venus Williams returns to the court
Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams is back and making more tennis history. Playing her first singles match in 16 months, the 45-year-old became the oldest player to win a tour-level singles match since 47-year-old Martina Navratilova won at Wimbledon more than 21 years ago. Sport reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Melissa Chan-Green. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
The Guardian
7 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Venus Williams, 45, becomes oldest WTA match winner since Navratilova
Venus Williams wanted to send a message – to herself and to others – about coming back from a long layoff, about competing in a sport at age 45, about never giving up. Yes, there was something special about just being back on a tennis court Tuesday night. There also was this: She really, really wanted to win. And Williams did just that, becoming the second-oldest woman to win a tour-level singles match in professional tennis, delivering some of her familiar big serves and groundstrokes at age 45 while beating Peyton Stearns – 22 years her junior – 6-3, 6-4 at the DC Open. 'Each week that I was training, I was, like, 'Oh, my God, I don't know if I'm good enough yet.' And then there would be weeks where I would leap forward. And there would be two weeks where I was, like, 'Oh, God, it's not happening.' Even the week leading up, [I thought], 'Oh, my gosh, I need to improve so much more.' So it's all a head game,' Williams said after her first singles match in more than a year and first singles victory in nearly two. The only older woman to win a tour-level singles match was Martina Navratilova, whose last triumph came at 47 in 2004. Williams had not played singles in an official match since March 2024 in Miami, missing time while having surgery to remove uterine fibroids. She hadn't won in singles since August 2023 in Cincinnati. Until this week, she was listed by the WTA Tour as 'inactive'. 'I'm just constantly praying for good health, so that way I could have an opportunity to play with good health,' Williams said. 'A lot of this for me is being able to come back and try to play at a level [and] to play healthy.' Backed by a crowd that clearly was there to see, and support, her at the hard-court tournament in the nation's capital, Williams showed glimpses of the talent she possesses and the skills she displayed while earning all of her Grand Slam titles: seven in singles, 14 in women's doubles – all alongside younger sister Serena – and two in mixed doubles. 'I wanted to play a good match,' Williams told the fans, then added a phrase that drew appreciative roars: 'And win the match.' In Tuesday's second game, Williams smacked a return winner to get things started, then delivered a couple of other big responses to break Stearns, a 23-year-old ranked 35th in the world. In the next game, Williams sprinted forward to reach a drop shot and replied with a forehand winner. The first chorus of cheers arrived when Williams walked out into the main stadium at the DC Open. Another came when she strode from the sideline to the center of the court for the coin toss. The noise reached a crescendo when Williams began hitting aces – at 110mph and faster – the way she used to. Keep in mind: Williams won four Grand Slam trophies before Stearns was born. Venus Williams hit big serves and groundstrokes just like she always did 'She played some ball tonight,' Stearns said. 'She was moving really well, which I wasn't expecting too much, honestly. Her serves were just on fire.' There also were moments where Williams – whose fiance was in the stands – looked as if it had been just as long as it actually has since she competed, including in the opening game, when she got broken at love this way: forehand wide, forehand into the net, forehand long, backhand long. At the end, it took Williams a bit of extra effort to close things out. She kept holding match points and kept failing to convert them. But eventually, on her sixth chance, Williams powered in a 112mph serve that Stearns returned into the net. That was it: Williams smiled wide as can be, raised a fist and jogged to the net to shake hands, then performed her customary post-win pirouette-and-wave. 'It's not easy. It won't be easy. It's not easy for anyone out here,' said Williams, who next faces No 5 seed Magdalena Frech. 'So I know I'll have to fight for every match. But I'm up for that.'
