‘A Slap in the Face!’ Tennis Legend’s Fury Explodes Over Imane Khelif’s Shocking Votes for Prestigious Female Award

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova only needed one acronym in response to Olympic boxing gold medalist Imane Khelif receiving votes for the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year award.

Khelif was in a firestorm throughout the Olympics after it was learned the Algerian fighter failed a gender test in the run-up to the Paris Games. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) maintained that Khelif met all the requirements to compete and eventually won the gold medal.

Imane Khelif competes against Anna Luca Hamori during the Paris Olympic Games in Villepinte, France, on Aug. 3, 2024. (Mehmet Murat Onel/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Khelif finished third in the voting, receiving four votes. Caitlin Clark won the award and Simone Biles was second.

Navratilova, who has been a staunch advocate for protecting women’s sports, reacted in a post on X.

“Wtaf???” she wrote, which means “what the actual f—.”

Khelif qualified for the Paris Olympics, but Khelif’s gender was called into question following a disqualification from the 2023 championships before a gold medal bout over gender eligibility issues.

International Boxing Association president Umar Kremlev said the boxer had “XY chromosomes,” which are associated with biological males.

Algeria’s Imane Khelif looks at Italy’s Angela Carini following their boxing match at the Summer Olympics, Aug. 1, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

One boxer, Angela Carini, forfeited her bout against Khelif in Paris, saying “one punch hurt too much.”

Khelif won gold in Paris and wasn’t the only boxer to win a women’s gold who has been disqualified for failing gender eligibility tests. Taiwan’s Lin Yu-ting also won gold in another women’s weight class in Paris, prompting similar outrage.

The IOC defended Khelif and Yu-ting’s inclusion in the women’s events.

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova presenting trophies at the French Open at Roland Garros on June 8, 2024, in Paris. (Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)

Khelif was the most Googled athlete of the year, largely due to the controversy.