Serena Williams came out swinging against Russian
tennis president Shamil Tarpischevfor his “insensitive, sexist and racist”
remarks, after Tarpischev referred to Williams and her sister Venus as the
“Williams brothers” on a late night television talk show.
The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has fined Tarpischev
$25,000 for the remarks and banned him from involvement with the women’s tour
for one year, according to
the BBC. Tarpischev has issued a public apology, claiming it was a “small
joke” made with no “malicious intent.”
In a statement, Tarpische, who is also an International
Olympic Committee member, said: “I didn't want to offend any athlete with my
words. I regret that this joke has garnered so much attention. I don't think
this incident deserves so much fuss.”
Williams, who has 18 Grand Slam titles under her belt,
disagreed. Speaking to reporters today, Williams slammed
Tarpischev for the comments. “I thought they were very insensitive and
extremely sexist, as well as racist at the same time,” Williams said, while
commending the WTA for their swift action and initiative in responding to
Tarpischev’s comments, which she considered “bullying.”
“The WTA and the USTA (U.S. Tennis Association) did a
wonderful job of making sure that—in this day of age, 2014 for someone with his
power, it's really unacceptable to make such bullying remarks,” Williams said.
WTA chief executive Stacy Allaster said that
the comments were “insulting, demeaning and have absolutely no place in our
sport.”
Via.vanityfair
Via.vanityfair
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