“They can’t do what you do”: Serena Williams lends her support to fellow tennis star who is grieved.
Serena Williams has spoken out in support of Caitlin Clark, saying she is glad the Indiana Fever star stays away from social media and applauding the rookie for staying grounded.
Williams was speaking at the Tribeca film festival in New York for the premiere of In the Arena: Serena Williams, a new eight-part documentary series.
Related: Caitlin Clark’s toxic cultists are ruining things for the WNBA’s longtime fans
“If people are negative, it’s because they can’t do what you do,” Williams said.
Clark was drafted No 1 overall by Indiana after an historic college career with Iowa. She has been on the receiving end of hard fouls and has struggled at times during her rookie season. She was also left off the USA roster for the Olympics.
The decision not to take her to Paris has led to a significant amount of racist, sexist and homophobic comments online from people purporting to defend Clark, who is white, in a league where the majority of players are Black and many are gay.
“People should not be using my name to push those agendas. It’s disappointing. It’s not acceptable,” Clark said last week. “… Treating every single woman in this league with the same amount of respect, I think, it’s just a basic human thing that everybody should do.”
Clark has said publicly that she tries to avoid social media due to the pressure of being in the national spotlight at a young age.
“Honestly, I feel like I talk to the media more than I get to talk to my own family, which is – No, I’m being dead serious – which is really kind of sad in a way,” Clark said in May. “It’s a lot for somebody that’s 22 years old. It can be tough at times. Getting off social media, that’s been the healthiest thing.”
Clark has consistently tried to distance herself from off-the-court controversies, saying her focus is solely on basketball. But she has also been criticized for not using her platform to speak out on issues and for avoiding controversial topics.
Williams said she recognized the pressure on Clark and that she also stays away from her social channels.
“I love that she tries to stay grounded,” Williams said. “She says she doesn’t look at her social [media]. I get it. I don’t either. I think it’s so important to just continue to do what she’s doing. No matter what other people do. Hopefully she’ll continue to do what she’s doing.”
Speaking at ahead of the series that will air on ESPN+ on 10 July, Williams also detailed the treatment she received as a teenager in the tennis world.
“I was bullied. Things that I had to go through, people would be canceled for saying now,” Williams said. “My position in growing up, as a teenager, I kind of had to be guarded to kind of stay sane. Just [getting] so much press and doing everything I was doing and traveling the globe every year. It was every week. It was a grind.”
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Rory McIlroy storms out after US Open choke without congratulating Bryson DeChambeau
Bryson DeChambeau asked officials why he had not seen Rory McIlroy in the aftermath of his dramatic one-shot victory in the US Open on Sunday night, before being told that the runner-up left the course immediately without congratulating the victor.
McIlroy missed a three-foot putt on the last, after skewing another of a similar distance on the 16th, to sensationally chuck away a two-shot lead over DeChambeau with five holes to play. The 35-year-old looked certain to win his first major in 10 years until that late meltdown, which featured three dropped shots in four holes.
His turmoil was understandable, especially as he had not missed from within three feet in almost 500 attempts on the PGA Tour in 2024. Nevertheless, DeChambeau was beaten by a shot by Xander Schauffele in last month’s USPGA and hung around long enough at Valhalla to shake the hand of the winner.
McIlroy, who also lost by a shot in this same tournament last year, watched on a TV in the recorder’s hut as DeChambeau made his remarkable up and down from a bunker on the 18th and then, looking understandably distraught, headed to the courtesy car straight away followed by his entourage before his rival had even signed his scorecard.
He then sped away from media waiting in the car park and drove to Moore County Airport, an exclusive airport just a few miles from Pinehurst No 2 and was in the air home to Florida in his private jet less than an hour after DeChambeau had holed his four-footer for glory and before the winner had even started his champion’s press conference.
Telegraph Sport understands that DeChambeau was surprised that McIlroy was not on hand to congratulate him, just as he had for Schauffele last month after also being edged out by a single stroke. However, DeChambeau expressed his sympathy to McIlroy.
“For him to miss that putt, I’d never wish it on anybody,” he said, after lifting his second US Open trophy in four years. “Rory will win multiple more major championships. There’s no doubt. I think that fire in him is going to continue to grow.”
However, even McIlroy’s putting coach is not certain after this devastating blow. Brad Faxon, the former US Ryder Cup player who was here at the North Carolina layout as a NBC analyst, fears the burden to collect that elusive fifth major could be too great.
“Nobody’s had more pressure on him over the last 10 years,” Faxon said. “Everybody in the world knows Rory hasn’t won a major since 2014. I think it’s the way this happened: the short missed putts there on 16, certainly on 18. I don’t know how you get through this thing. It’s really tough.”
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