adminSINGAPORE. — World number one Serena Williams lashed out at “sexist” and racist” comments from the head of Russian tennis yesterday after he jokingly called her and her sister Venus the “Williams brothers”. Williams applauded swift action from the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), which fined Russian federation chief Shamil Tarpischev US$25 000 and banned him from tennis for a year.
“Well I think the WTA did a really great job in taking initiative and immediately taking actions,” Williams told reporters ahead of the WTA Finals in Singapore.
“His comments, I thought, were very insensitive, I thought they were extremely sexist as well as racist at the same time, and I thought they were in a way bullying.
“I just wasn’t very happy with his comments and I think a lot of people are unhappy as well.”
Tarpischev, a vastly experienced coach and administrator, has apologised for the comment which he made on a Russian chat show and which drew a furious reaction when translated into English. — AFP.
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