Queen Elizabeth II meets a lineup of tennis stars that includes Serena Williams (2nd L) and Caroline Wozniacki (R) at the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships on Day 4 at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 24, 2010 in London, England.
Caroline Wozniacki stands accused of racism after prancing around a court in Brazil with towels stuffed into her top and skirt, impersonating her friend and fellow tennis player Serena Williams.
The impromptu performance, during an exhibition match against Maria Sharapova in Sao Paulo, has drawn an angry response on social media and elsewhere, with some claiming it was offensive and bordered on racism.
While Wozniacki, 22, of Denmark got a positive vibe from the crowd, with even men's champion Roger Federer seen smiling in the crowd, the New York Daily News reported.
However, USA Today's Chris Chase called it a "disappointment."
One commentator on tumblr wrote:
"It may have been done in 'jest,' but I love how people can turn a black woman's body and sexuality into a caricature."
And a contributor to feministing.com wrote:
"Given the history and current-day context of racialized standards of beauty, and the hypersexualization of people of color, when a white woman makes fun of a black women's body, especially in a way that hypersexualizes her and draws on the stereotype of black women's big butts, it's racist."
However, Yahoo Sports deemed the mockery of the 15-time Grand Slam champion and WTA player of the year "hilarious."
Wozniacki has hammed it up at Williams' expense before — in December last year, dancing around the court to a Rihanna song.
Andy Roddick has also impersonated Williams, Australia's Fairfax media noted.
Williams is known for her self-deprecating humor and referring to her figure, and only 24 hours earlier had tweeted: "Hummmmm do they make Brazilian bikinis for ummm well….. Me???".
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