Caroline Wozniacki has caused some controversy by stuffing her tank top and tennis skirt with towels in a mid-match impersonation of Serena Williams. The 22-year-old tennis pro received laughs from attendees at the match in Sao Paolo against Maria Sharapova, but some critics have interpreted the impersonation as racist.
Katie Halper, a blogger for Feministing.com wrote Monday: “When a white woman makes fun of a black woman’s body, especially in a way that hypersexualizes her and draws on the stereotype of black women’s big butts, it’s racist.”
Deborah Dunham, on Blesstree.com, wrote “The only good thing that came out of this is the fact that Wozniacki’s opponent that day in Sao Paolo, Maria Sharapova, ended up beating her on the court.” Sharapova won the match 6-2, 7-6.
A YouTube comment said, “Maybe if she imitated Serena’s actual tennis, she’d win a little more.”
Tennis players like Andy Roddick and Novak Djokovic are known to imitate each other during exhibition matches. Djokovic may have even inspired Wozniacki in his November imitation of Williams when he too stuffed towels in his shirt for makeshift breasts. Djokovic, however, drew no heat for his impersonation.
My take on the whole thing: Caroline, you look much better as yourself. Stick with who you are!
