Serena Williams cartoon: Australian illustrator denies 'racism' claims over drawing of tennis star at US Open

The cartoon was printed just days after the controversial final
Getty Images for USTA
Sophie Williams11 September 2018

An Australian cartoonist has defended his depiction of Serena Williams' row with an umpire at the US Open after accusations that it is "racist".

The cartoon shows Williams with a smashed racquet and stamping her feet while the umpire can be seen telling Naomi Osaka "can you just let her win?"

It was heavily criticised on social media with JK Rowling and Bernice King wading into the debate.

Critics also said that Osaka had been depicted as a "white, blonde woman" in the cartoon.

The image was printed the day after the dramatic US Open final which saw Williams handed three code violations and arguing with the umpire. Osaka later won the match becoming the first Japanese woman to win a grand slam.

Mark Knight, the cartoonist behind the image which was published in the Herald Sun said: "It's a cartoon about poor behaviour. It's nothing to do with race.

"She's great to draw, she's a powerful figure, she's strongly built.

"I'm sorry it's been taken by social media and distorted so much. I've tried to reply to these people but they don't listen."

Rowling shared the cartoon on Twitter, writing: "Well done on reducing one of the greatest sportswomen alive to racist and sexist tropes and turning a great sportswoman into a faceless prop."

While King said: "Art can be a vehicle to enlighten and eradicate racism, misogyny, etc. This does the opposite. And we can't afford that in this current social climate. Please do better."

Other people compared the image to old Sambo cartoons.

In Pictures | Serena Williams confronts US Open final umpire

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Pam Keith said: "Did you mean for this to come off as racist as it does? Because it was a punch to the gut. Felt like I was looking at an archived cartoon from the 1930s.

"Wow.... just, yeah.... wow. Whatever point you were trying to make, you revealed a WHOLE LOT more about you, than Serena."

While Rebecca Enonchong wrote: "What a disgraceful depiction of both black women. One to show as a crazed animal the other to show as 'pure as a blond white girl.' This is so offensive."

Editor of the Herald Sun, Damon Johnston backed the cartoonist saying: "A champion tennis player had a mega tantrum on the world stage and Mark's cartoon depicted that. It had nothing to do with gender or race."

People also criticised the depiction of Naomi Osaka
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Osaka beat Williams 6-2 6-4 during the match on Saturday.

Williams was handed a code violation for receiving coaching from the stands, smashing her racquet and arguing with the umpire Carlos Ramos.

She was deducted a game after called Ramos "a thief".

Williams accused Ramos of sexism, claiming that he had never deducted a game from a male player for calling him "a thief".

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