Why Martina Navratilova must apologise to Naomi Osaka

Fat shaming of any kind in sport commentary treads on thin ice and Martina Navratilova’s comments about Naomi Osaka’s first-round defeat were unforgivable.

Martina Navratilova owes Naomi Osaka an apology.

Her comments on the four-time grand slam champion following her first round defeat in Melbourne were shameful and unforgivable.

For those that missed the Czech’s take on Osaka’s return to grand slam tennis, she said: “Tennis-wise, maybe a B+, but overall, a C because she (Naomi Osaka) couldn’t get to the ball that she wants to hit because she’s not in shape.

“I’m surprised that she really started playing, that she got on the tour, and that she played this tournament without clearly being in the top shape that she needs to be in order to put herself in the position to hit the big, big balls.

“Get more fit, play a lot more sets in practice so that when you play the match ‘you have been there, done that’, but most of all just put in the yards on the court and off the court because the girls hit the ball too hard.”

“She gave birth, we know all that, but Svitolina did too and she looked a lot better off the bat. It is something you can control as long as you don’t have injuries, there is no reason not to get in better shape and then she can win a lot more matches.”

Martina Navratilova’s comments on the four-time grand slam champion following her first round defeat in Melbourne were shameful and unforgivable. Picture: Getty Images

I’m sorry, Martina, how many children did you carry and give birth to during your tennis career?

No this is not just the mumma bear in me reacting to a mother having her physical appearance questioned. Fat shaming of any kind in sport commentary treads on thin ice the second it leaves the expert’s mouth.

To analyse an athlete’s fitness and preparedness – particularly when returning from a significant injury or break – is par for the course in any sport of course, but words have impact and potentially devastating consequences.

Commenting on someone’s body after they have had a child is wholly irresponsible. This “bounce back” culture we have lived in for decades is sickening and enforces entirely unrealistic pressures on women – athletes or otherwise.

But to then have the audacity to compare one mother to another which Navratilova did by bringing Svitolina into the conversation is disgraceful.

Comments like those made by Navratilova stir demons and can cause untold damage. Picture: Getty Images

Perhaps being three months post-partum myself has made me more sensitive to Navratilova’s comments but the thought of being compared to a colleague’s post-baby body on my return to the office is enough for me to never go back to work.

None of us know exactly how brutal or otherwise these women’s birth experiences were.

None of us know if these women have, in any stage of life, struggled with disordered eating.

None of us know how many obstacles they faced in their return.

Osaka has been vocal about her mental health struggles in the past and works tirelessly to break the stigma around self care when it’s needed.

She took an extended break from tennis in 2021 after revealing her ongoing struggles with depression and anxiety.

Osaka’s post match analysis of her own performance were worrying enough and gave real insight into the pressures she felt about her return to the court. Picture: AFP

Comments like Navratilova’s stir demons and can cause untold damage.

Osaka’s post match analysis of her own performance were worrying enough and gave real insight into the pressures she felt about her return to the court.

“I have to tell myself, ‘Hey, like six months ago you were pregnant,’ she said.

“Of course, there’s a voice in my head that is (saying), ‘Who are you to think you can come back and immediately start winning matches?’

“I don’t know. I kind of always expect myself to stand a chance, anyway. So I guess just being nicer to myself is like a key thing that I learned in my time away.

“So I wouldn’t say this comeback is how I thought (it would go) because I’m delusional enough to think I could have won the tournament.

“I think my delusion is what allows me to win the tournaments.”

However long it takes Osaka to return to her best, she will win more grand slam titles. The only delusion comes from Navratilova.