Serena gets political
Williams chooses to talk about fight for equality after her win
TENNIS superstar Serena Williams said she was concerned about the fight for equality as she used Martin Luther King Day to spread the message at the Australian Open.
The 22-time Grand Slam winner wore a T-shirt emblazoned with the word “Equality” as she spoke to media after sweeping into the second round of the Grand Slam tournament yesterday.
“With today being Martin Luther King Day, it’s important to spread the message of equality, which is something he talked about a lot and he tried to spread a lot – equality and rights for everyone,” said Williams.
She added that many athletes “really want to be a part of this movement”.
“And we really just want to speak up about things that we believe in and talk about equality,” she said.
She refused to comment on United States president-elect Donald Trump, who met King’s eldest son in New York on the US holiday honouring the slain civil rights icon.
The meeting took place amid a brewing spat with one of King’s close collaborators, congressman John Lewis, who has vowed to boycott Trump’s inauguration ceremony this week.
Williams, arguably one of the greatest athletes ever, has been outspoken on women’s rights and gender and race issues in recent times.
Asked if she was concerned about the future of equality in the US, the 35-year-old replied: “I think it’s a concern for just everyone in general.
“We want to make sure we always continue to move forward and always have the opportunity to have equal rights for all. “We don’t want to stop that forward movement. It’s just always great to raise awareness for it.”
Pressed on whether she feared what might happen to equal rights under the Trump administration, she said: “I don’t talk – I don’t have any comments on that.”
Two matches in four months, a dodgy knee and a sweltering day had doubts swirling around Serena Williams as she took centre court for her first-round match against talented Swiss Belinda Bencic yesterday.
It took 79 minutes for the 35-year-old American to bat them all away, however, an emphatic 6-4, 6-3 win at Rod Laver Arena providing a near-perfect launch of her bid to clinch a record 23rd Grand Slam title in the professional era.
Fiance Alexis Ohanian, a social media entrepreneur, was a spectator in the crowd but the wedding plans remain on hold for at least another match, and much longer if the American great has her way at Melbourne Park.
“I just kept saying that February I’ll start looking at the bigger picture of my life,” Williams, seeded second, told reporters.
“But right now I’m just so focused that this is kind of all I can think about.” — AFP