Martina Navratilova Slammed for Suggesting Katie Boulter ‘Retire and Have Babies’ After US Open Loss

Serving shade and catching flack in return!

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova is under fire for her brutal on-air suggestion that struggling British player Katie Boulter should quit tennis and focus on motherhood.

The 18-time Grand Slam champion, 68, didn’t hold back during Tuesday’s Sky Sports coverage after watching Boulter’s crushing first-round defeat to Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk at the 2025 US Open.

“Or maybe just get married, have babies, and be done with it,” Navratilova said with a laugh when cohost Ryan Harrison suggested Boulter needed to finish the season strong. “No more stress.”

The comment immediately raised eyebrows, especially since Boulter, 29, just got engaged to Australian tennis star Alex de Minaur in December 2024. Harrison, 33, tried to push back, pointing out that babies bring “a different sort of stress” — but the damage was done.

Tennis fans weren’t having it. Social media exploded with criticism, with one calling Navratilova’s remark “a shame” and defending Boulter as “a fantastic player and an amazing ambassador for British women’s tennis.”

Meanwhile, Boulter — who has admitted to struggling with her serve lately — showed no signs of throwing in the towel. “I’m actually really excited,” she told reporters after the loss, calling it “a really pivotal moment in my career.”

Spoken like a true champ.