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Have You Seen This?

Have You Seen This?

Have You Seen This?

Serena Williams/Aryna Sabalenka Match Leads To Questions of Double Standards

Author Laila Abuelhawa
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 14: Serena Williams of the United States is interviewed on court following victory in her Women's Singles fourth round match against Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus during day seven of the 2021 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on February 14, 2021 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Serena Williams advanced in the Australian Open this weekend against her opponent Aryna Sabalenka, who got very emotional after losing. After their match, Sabalenka slammed her tennis racket on the ground, a scene too familiar to Williams, who did the same in the 2018 US Open.

During the 2018 US Open match, Serena Williams was hit with three code violations, one of them due to her slamming her racket on the ground. Calling the chair umpire, Carlos Ramos, a “thief,” was the final violation which cost her the match. The media reaction to Williams was harsh: Herald Sun cartoonist Mark Knight infamously created a distasteful, racist caricature of Williams as a big, angry black woman throwing a tantrum.

But fans noted that the way Sabalenka’s behavior has been framed in the press is very different than how Williams’ was in 2018.

https://twitter.com/MJFINESSELOVERR/status/1361364561572593667

https://twitter.com/emmanuelb_s/status/1361085341772501000

Serena Williams will face off against Naomi Osaka in the semifinals of the Australian Open February 17.

 

Laila Abuelhawa is the Top 40 and Hip-Hop pop culture writer for Beasley Media Group. Being with the company for over three years, Laila's fierce and fabulous red-carpet rankings have earned her a feature on 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert!' Her favorite stories are those surrounding the latest in celebrity fashion, television and film rankings, and how the world reacts to major celebrity news. With a background in journalism, Laila's stories ensure accuracy and offer background information on stars that you wouldn't have otherwise known. She prides herself in covering stories that inform the public about what is currently happening and what is to come in the ever-changing, ever-evolving media landscape.

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Author Laila Abuelhawa
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