WTA Chief Reacts to Williams' Remarks

AP
Posted: 2008-05-09 07:39:05
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (March 20) - WTA head Larry Scott said Thursday that he strongly disagrees with comments made by Richard Williams, father of Serena and Venus, regarding racism on the women's tour.

Saying he was disappointed by Williams' recent remarks during an interview in India, Scott said in a statement: "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, where Venus reached the quarterfinals and Serena won the title, Williams told the 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.

Scott 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."

The Williams sisters haven't played at Indian Wells since 2001. They were booed after Venus pulled out of a semifinal match against her sister, citing knee tendinitis. Serena went on to win the title, but was booed during and after the championship match.



Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2008-03-20 22:59:48


Bookmark:

Recent Comments

Post Your Own  
1 - 5 of 5
5 comments

virginiaadaniel 05:24:28 PM Apr 02 2008

Report This!

no enpough is,nt said,or even admitted by some whites in america. get to this ,or better yet watch the way the williams sisters are treated by tennis fans here in the US as well as other countries.the truth is it hurts when the williams are the representitives of the country and americans get behind whatever white opponent they happen to be playing against,not to mention the number of corp. offers that go to white tennis players ie.Cannon.

lillyroses4o 02:11:07 AM Mar 21 2008

Report This!

friendy42-why do so many of you make stupid connections between someone who is a crazy clown such as Williams and someone like Obama. Williams is a loon and brags about being predjucdice and ridicules other because of the same complaint- is out there. This is what bothers me is that you take the comments of a few and smear a whole race. Like there is one brain and we all think alike. If that were so then all blacks would fear whites because the KKK is still alive in America. Nooses are still displayed. The confederate flags waves proudly. But, that would be crazy for any black to think that white america has one brain. What is crazier is that someone writes what he says, and they do it because it will get someone to read it. Chrissie Everett and Austin were and are great ambassadors for tennis and were great for the games.

wrangler2k01 12:38:35 AM Mar 21 2008

Report This!

I think Mr (and I use that term loosely) Williams should pack up and move to Africa, or Afganistan, Palestine, Iran. Im sure he would feel much more at home in any one of these countries.

friendy42 12:23:50 AM Mar 21 2008

Report This!

HIS DAUGHTERS HAVE BEEN TEATED LIKE QUEENS BY THE MEDIA. WHAT IS HIS PROBLEM?

IS THIS WHAT WE ARE EXPECT IF BARACK OBAMA ELECTED, PEOPLE LIKE MR WILLIAM SAYING HE HATES AMERICA AND WHITE PEOPLE. I WOULD LOVE TO BE MAKING THE MONEY THESE TWO DO. WHERE BUT AMERICA CAN THIS HAPPEN?

yoteach97 12:16:18 AM Mar 21 2008

Report This!

This is exactly why WHITES shirk any type of conversations about race in America. Knuckleheads like Williams ruin any type of intellectual discourse between those want to talk about it and move on. Enough said.

1 - 5 of 5
5 comments

Add your own Comments

Clear
Add