Nastase given 3-year ITF ban
Tennis great fined over derogatory comments
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) on Friday banned and fined Ilie Nastase over derogatory comments about Serena Williams and a foulmouthed Fed Cup tirade.
The Romanian tennis great was in the ITF dock for his abusive behavior as Romania’s Fed Cup captain in a tie with Britain in Bucharest in April.
The two-time Grand Slam winner is banned from all ITF competitions until December 2020, excluded from all ITF competitions until December 2018, and fined $10,000.
Grand slam tournaments, which lie outside the ITF’s jurisdiction, are not included in the sanction.
The controversial 71-year-old was sensationally kicked out of the Fed Cup tie in the Romanian capital on the second day for his irrational conduct, escorted from the court by security staff.
The ITF launched its investigation after Nastase was heard speaking in Romanian to one of his team mem- bers about US superstar Williams’ unborn baby at the Fed Cup draw in Constanta in April.
On the opening day he was overheard making derogatory remarks about Williams’ pregnancy.
“Let’s see what color it [the baby] has. Chocolate with milk?” he said in Romanian, remarks then reported widely internationally, including by a British female reporter who he then berated, describing her as “stupid” and “ugly.”
Williams, who had confirmed her pregnancy through a spokeswoman a few days earlier, is engaged to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, who is white.
He also asked British captain Anne Keothavong for her hotel room number.
He was escorted from the Constanta venue after swearing at the umpire as well as the British skipper and a visiting player.
He was heard to call pregnant captain Keothavong and British No.1 Johanna Konta “f**king bitches.”
The ITF in a statement described Nastase’s comment about Williams as “highly inappropriate and racially insensitive.”
It reported how “Mr Nastase made advances of a sexual nature toward Anne Keothavong, the Captain of the Great Britain team.”
The ITF judgement highlighted his “abusive and threatening comments to a member of the accredited press, match officials and to members of the Great Britain team.”
The statement added that the disgraced Fed Cup skipper had “refused to leave the court and deliberately interfered with the opposing team.”
Nastase and the Romanian Tennis Federation have 21 days to appeal.
Days after his Fed Cup meltdown, the eccentric Nastase apologized for his remarks about Williams but said his behavior at the tie “has been exaggerated by all.”