By Chris Oddo | Monday April 24, 2017
Serena Williams pens an eloquent message condemning Ilie Nastaste's remarks and expressing hope for continued change.
Photo Source: AFP
Serena Williams took to Instagram to speak out against sexist and racist comments made by Ilie Nastase over the weekend in Constanta, Romania. The World No.1 recently announced that she is 20 weeks pregnant and will miss the rest of the season as a result, but that hasn’t kept Williams, who has become increasingly more vocal on social issues over the course of her career, from speaking out against the Romanian’s much-publicized transgressions over the weekend.
"From the world's oldest number one to the world's youngest number one" -- Serena to Baby
“I have said it once and I’ll say it again,” she posted on Instagram. “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. This or anything else will not stop me from pouring love, light and positivity into everything that I do.”
See Williams’ remarks in their entirety below:
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A post shared by Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) on
The 23-time major champion is also in the news this week because she has risen to No.1 for the eighth time in her career. Her rise to the top comes as a result of scheduling switch that means Angelique Kerber's points from Stuttgart last season have already dropped off. Kerber, two-time defending Stuttgart champion, can reclaim the top spot by advancing to the semifinals this week. As top seed, Kerber will receive a first-round bye, and will need to win two matches in order to return to WTA World No.1.