LAST WEEK ROMANIAN tennis coach Ilie Nastase was heard turning to a team member and speculating whether the colour of Serena’s baby would be “chocolate with milk“.
Like everyone else, you’re probably wondering who the heck Ilie Nastase even is. He was world number one in the sport in 1973, 8 years before Serena was even born.
The International Tennis Federation immediately launched an investigation in to the comments. This is 70-year-old Nastase’s second comment about Serena Williams in the last month, the first being an unsubstantiated allegation about doping.
The investigation has the full support of Serena, but meanwhile she took to Instagram to give a personal response:
This world has come so far but yet we have so much further to go. Yes, we have broken down so many barriers- however there are a plethora more to go.
She calls Nastase a coward and goes on to quote poet Maya Angelou:
Does my sassiness upset you? Why are you beset with gloom?You may shoot me with your words… you may try to kill me with your hatefulness, but still like air, I rise.
Twitter users were in full support of Serena’s response to the racist remark.
John Thrasher / Twitter
John Thrasher / Twitter / Twitter
Hopefully her response has directed him back to his own lane, where he should firmly stay.
