*The New York Times may have praised Serena Williams’ body for being a type other female tennis players should strive for, but that same article from the publication is drawing the wrath of critics on social media.
On Saturday (July 11), many Twitter users pointed out racial overtones they found in the Times’ description of Williams as animal-like, TheGrio.com reports.
“This black people as ‘beast’ thing needs to go down with the #ConfederateFlag,” stated one Twitter user
“If you think it’s JUST about looks you’re missing the racism of the article. And the white aesthetics it worships,” another Twitter mentioned.
Although the story, which ran Friday (July 10), seemed to criticize Williams for her physique, TheGrio acknowledged that it’s actually directed at body image issues of females in tennis who don’t look like the famed athlete.
In the article, the writer notes that Williams “has large biceps and a mold-breaking muscular frame, which packs the power and athleticism that have dominated women’s tennis for years. Her rivals could try to emulate her physique, but most of them choose not to.”
Despite this, the Times’ story cites body image issues among many female players that cause them to steer away from looking like Williams.
“It’s our decision to keep her as the smallest player in the top 10. Because, first of all she’s a woman, and she wants to be a woman,” Tomasz Wiktorowski, the coach of 5 feet 8 and 123 pounds Agnieszka Radwanska, told the Times.
Williams, 33, who has appeared on the cover of Vogue, is regarded as symbol of beauty by many women. But she has also been gawked at and mocked throughout her career, and she said growing confident and secure in her build was a long process.
“I don’t touch a weight, because I’m already super fit and super cut, and if I even look at weights, I get bigger,” she said. “For years I’ve only done Thera-Bands and things like that, because that’s kind of how I felt. But then I realized that you really have to learn to accept who you are and love who you are. I’m really happy with my body type, and I’m really proud of it. Obviously it works out for me. I talk about it all the time, how it was uncomfortable for someone like me to be in my body.”
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