Larry Scott, the head of the Women's Tennis Association, issued a strong statement in response to assertions made by Richard Williams (poppa of Serena and Venus) to the international press regarding racism on the women's tour.
(A man is in charge of the women's tour????)
Scott stated, “The Tour has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to racism, and I have previously let Mr. Williams know that he should let me know if he ever had evidence of racist comments or acts in women’s professional tennis.”
While his daughters were playing earlier this month in Bangladore, India, Poppa Williams told the country's Deccan Herald, “Well, I’m black and I’m prejudiced, very prejudiced. People are prejudiced in tennis. I don’t think Venus or Serena was ever accepted by tennis. They never will be.”
He said the media treated his daughters unfairly, that it was “the worst media job that they have done on any human being in the world,” and that if he were Serena and Venus, he would have quit playing.
“But if you get some little white no-good trasher in America like Tracy Austin or Chris Evert, who cannot hit the ball, they (the media) will claim this is great,” he said.
The women's tennis head said, “Champions like Chris Evert and Tracy Austin have done so much to help build women’s tennis to where it is today, and it is regrettable that anyone would criticize them in this manner.”
A note to the two of them. Pick up the phone. Get together..talk it out. Trading statements via the press isn't helping anything.
Oprah needs to come on board and mediate!
[Image via WENN.]
Permalink
/
371 comments (RSS) »
