ABSTRACT
This chapter examines sports journalism coverage of the 1981 outing of tennis champion Martina Navratilova. The public revelation of Navratilova’s sexuality marked one of the first times sports journalists had to deal with issues related to lesbian athletes in women’s sports. Surprisingly, despite Navratilova’s status as one of the most prominent players on the women’s professional tennis tour, the story received little media attention. Thus, the chapter also explores potential reasons why her outing was effectively ignored.
