J.K. Rowling: Cartoon Reduces Serena Williams to ‘Racist and Sexist Tropes’

Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling and other social-media users are decrying a comic by cartoonist Marc Knight that depicts U.S. tennis star Serena Williams as a jumping, crying baby at the U.S. Open final. Rowling tweeted that the comic reduced Williams, whom she called “one of the greatest sportswomen alive,” to “racist and sexist tropes, and turned Osaka, “a second great sportswoman,” into “a faceless prop.” The cartoon, published in Australia’s Herald Sun, shows Williams on the tennis court visibly upset. In the background, the umpire says, “Can’t you just let her win?” to a faceless blonde woman—who is apparently meant to represent Naomi Osaka, who beat Williams on Saturday. Williams got into an argument with the umpire in the second set of the match and was docked a game after calling him “a thief” for penalizing her. After the match, the superstar athlete said she was treated unfairly. “There are men out here that do a lot worse, but because I’m a woman, because I’m a woman you’re going to take this away from me?” Williams said.