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Serena Williams slams Tennis Federation as “sexist”

Tennis star Serena Williams has labelled comments by the Russian Tennis Federation president as "insensitive" and "sexist".
Serena Williams

Appearing on Russia’s Evening Urgant talk show earlier this month, Tarpischev referred to the talented sisters as “Williams brothers”.

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“I thought [his comments] were very insensitive and extremely sexist as well as racist at the same time,” Serena said at a press conference before the beginning of the WTA Finals in Singapore. “I thought they were in a way bullying.”

The Women’s Tennis Association fined Tarpischev $25,000 and suspended him for one year.

“I think the WTA did a great job of taking [the] initiative and taking immediate action to his comments,” Serena said. “In 2014, for someone with his power, it’s really unacceptable to make such bullying remarks.”

Tarpischev later released a statement saying his comments were “taken out of humorous context” when translated and were not intended to cause offence.

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“I am sorry that the joke I made, when translated into English, was taken out of the context of a chat show and so much attention has been brought towards it,” he said.

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