Tennis Player Caroline Wozniacki Accused of ‘Racist’ Impersonation of Serena Williams by Stuffing Bra and Pants
Daily Mail (London), December 11, 2012
Caroline Wozniacki has been accused of doing a ‘racist’ impersonation of fellow tennis player Serena Williams after stuffing her bra and shorts.
At a recent exhibition against Maria Sharapova in Brazil, the former world No. 1 stuffed courtside towels down her kit to replicate the body of the curvaceous Grand Slam champion.
But now the 22-year-old Dane, whose boyfriend golfer Rory McIlroy was in the crowd, has now been accused of racism by some observers.
On Tumblr, one blogger wrote: ‘This isn’t “harmless fun” as one article described it. its racist. out and outright racism. mocking and making fun of the bodies of black women for a laugh? real funny, stupid white girl. real real funny.’
Another blogger pointed out: ‘It may have been done in “jest,” but I love how people can can turn a black woman’s body and sexuality into a caricature. However, we should not have the autonomy to celebrate any successes of our own.
While on feministing.com, an article read: ‘Given the history and current-day context of racialized standards of beauty, and the hypersexualization of people of color, when a white woman makes fun of a black women’s body, especially in a way that hypersexualizes her and draws on the stereotype of black women’s big butts, it’s racist.’
Williams is well known for referring to her curvaceous figure – the day before the tennis star, also in Brazil to promote the 2016 Games, had tweeted: ‘Do they make Brazilian bikinis for, um, well, me?’.
In July she tweeted a photo of her bottom, with the accompanying words: ‘Hummm I think this onzie makes me butt look TOO big. Ugh. #BigButtproblems.’
Wozniacki mentioned during a press conference after the game that she was performing an impression of her friend and fellow tennis player Serena Williams.
She said: ‘I really love the crowd here, they’re open and they have a lot of fun.’
This was not the first time Wozniacki imitated the American icon – she also copied her last year as well.
Tennis impersonations are usually the hallmark of Novak Djokovic – the Serb has imitated off rivals Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, as well as women’s stars Williams and Sharapova.