Johannesburg:
Russian Tennis Federation’s president Shamil Tarpischev has reportedly been fined 25,000 dollars and banned from the women’s tour for a year after referring to world number one Serena and her sister Venus Williams as ‘the Williams brothers’ on a television chat show last week.
Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) chief executive Stacy Allaster said that the comments were insulting, demeaning and have absolutely no place in their sport.
Allaster added that Tarpischev’s statements questioning their genders tarnish their great game and two of their champions. She added that his derogatory remarks deserve to be condemned and he would be sanctioned, Sport24 reported.
Allaster said that as a result of Tarpischev’s comments she has ordered him to be fined 25,000 dollars, the maximum allowed under WTA rules. She added that he would be suspended from any involvement with the WTA for a year.
Serena has won 18 grand slam singles titles while her sister Venus has won seven majors.
Meanwhile, Dave Haggerty, president of the United States Tennis Association, called on Tarpischev to issue an apology. He said in a statement that as the president of the Russian Tennis Federation and a member of the International Olympic Committee, Tarpischev is expected to conduct himself with the highest degree of integrity and sportsmanship.
Haggerty added, that unfortunately, Tarpischev’s comments do not embody either of these traits and in fact were reprehensible.
