Tennis Legend, Nastase Banned for Racism on Serena Williams

ILIE Nastase has been banned from the Fed Cup and Davis Cup until 2019 because of his foul-mouthed comments and bad behaviour as Romania’s captain during a Fed Cup tie in April.

Nastase was provisionally suspended in April after he speculated about the skin colour of the baby that Williams is expecting, and for outbursts during the tie against Britain.

As Fed Cup captain, Nastase hurled abuse at British player Johanna Konta, Keothavong, and the umpire. The referee ejected Nastase.

“Mr. Nastase made a comment about Serena Williams’s unborn child that was highly inappropriate and racially insensitive,” the ITF said.

Nastase also “made advances of a sexual nature towards Anne Keothavong, the captain of the Great Britain team” and “made abusive and threatening comments to the match officials and to members of the Great Britain team.”

The ITF decision included Nastase’s denial he was a racist. “Mr Nastase accepts that he made an unfortunate choice of words when commenting on Ms Williams’ unborn baby, but submits that they were intended as a joke and were misinterpreted,” the case details read.

No words.

No words.Source:Getty Images

“Mr Nastase also submits … that he comes from a nation where racism is not ‘as delicate an issue as it may be in other parts of the world’. There is also no prior evidence of Mr. Năstase being racist; his friendships and partnerships with contemporaries such as Arthur Ashe and Yannick Noah stand as evidence to the contrary.”

In addition to the ban, the International Tennis Federation said on Friday the 1973 French Open champion will not be able to work in an official capacity for a further two years, until 2021.

The 71-year-old Nastase was also fined $10,000. He has three weeks to appeal the decision.

Reached by telephone, Nastase declined to comment, saying he wanted to consult his lawyer.

Although he will have to sit out ITF events, the ban does not apply to Grand Slam, ATP or WTA tournaments, which are not under the governing body’s jurisdiction.

He previously acknowledged making mistakes and having shortcomings, but stressed “the cause I fight for is tennis, the sport I really love, which I cannot separate from my life.”

Nastase, a former top-ranked player, was barred from the French Open and was not invited to the Royal Box at Wimbledon, where he was a two-time finalist.