The head of the Russian tennis federation has written to U.S. star athlete Serena Williams to apologize for comments in which he referred to her and sister Venus as "the Williams brothers."
Shamil Tarpischev made the derogatory remarks last Friday while appearing on popular Russian television show Vecherny Ugant (Evening Urgant), adding that the Williams sisters — who together have won 13 Grand Slam doubles titles — were "scary" to look at.
The former Boris Yeltsin coach later apologized for the comments, saying they "were wrong and could be construed as discriminatory by the public."
Speaking Thursday, Serena Williams said she had yet to hear from Tarpischev but confirmed Friday that she had received a written apology, the Associated Press reported.
Tarpischev, who has headed the Russian Tennis Federation since 1999, was fined $25,000 and suspended from involvement in the international Women's Tennis Association (WTA) tour for a year over his comments.
Serena Williams, currently ranked world number one by the WTA, is widely considered to be one of the greatest female players ever, having won 18 Grand Slam singles titles and four Olympic gold medals.
She recently suffered her heaviest loss in more than 15 years after losing 6-0 6-2 to Romania's Simona Halep at the WTA finals in Singapore.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
