Navratilova challenges Sergiy Stakhovsky over homophobic remarks

Martina Navratilova has challenged Ukrainian tennis pro Sergiy Stakhovsky over homophobic remarks he made about the women’s game last week.

The world number 49 had said that while he didn’t think there were any gay players in the men’s top 100, he wouldn’t ever let his daughter play tennis because “every other female player was a lesbian.”

Stakhovsky also took issue with Martina Navratilova’s comments saying he was surprise no male players had come out, saying that she had “no clue at all what men’s tennis is”.

The 18-time Grand Slam winner and BBC commentator – who came out at the height of her career in 1981 – was quick to pick up the remarks, telling Stakhovsky in no uncertain terms that what he said was homophobic and challenging him to meet her in person to discuss it. Take a look at the awkward exchange on Twitter below:

@LGBTportalUkr @Stako_tennis did you really say this Sergiy?

— Martina Navratilova (@Martina) July 8, 2015

@Stako_tennis that you don't want your daughter to play tennis because she might turn into a lesbian ? That is how it was translated…

— Martina Navratilova (@Martina) July 9, 2015

@Martina I don't want my daughter to play professional tennis from many various reasons .

— Sergiy Stakhovsky (@Stako_tennis) July 9, 2015

@Stako_tennis what you said was homophobic- perhaps we can speak sometime in the future- thank you

— Martina Navratilova (@Martina) July 10, 2015

@Stako_tennis it's a date:)

— Martina Navratilova (@Martina) July 10, 2015

“did you really say this Sergiy? that you don’t want your daughter to play tennis because she might turn into a lesbian ? That is how it was translated…” Navratilova wrote.

He responded: ‘I don’t want my daughter to play professional tennis from many various reasons. and to be DEADLY HONEST I ever thought of it in that way. Meaning it’s the least worrying case for me.”

Navratilova wrote back: “what you said was homophobic- perhaps we can speak sometime in the future- thank you.”

Encouragingly, Stakhovsky agreed, writing: “we of course can and with pleasure”, to which Navratilova replied: ‘it’s a date:)’

If you fancy some rather happier tennis-related news, current world number 4 Stanislas Wawrinka recently bared it all for a new ESPN shoot – click here to take a look.

Meanewhile, it was revealed earlier this year that The Amazing Spiderman star Emma Stone has been cast as another lesbian tennis icon, Billie Jean King, in new film Battle of the Sexes – find out more here.

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