(Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Over the weekend, tennis player John McEnroe said that Serena Williams would be ranked 700 in the world if she played against men instead of women.
Williams disagreed.
The 23-grand slam superstar took to Twitter on Monday to clap back, saying, “Dear John, I adore and respect you but please please keep me out of your statements that are not factually based.”
–If Serena played men she wouldn’t be world’s greatest, tennis star says–
“I’ve never played anyone ranked ‘there’ nor do I have time. Respect me and my privacy as I’m trying to have a baby. Good day sir,” she added.
Dear John, I adore and respect you but please please keep me out of your statements that are not factually based.
— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) June 26, 2017
I’ve never played anyone ranked “there” nor do I have time. Respect me and my privacy as I’m trying to have a baby. Good day sir
— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) June 26, 2017
Williams, who is pregnant, is taking a break from tennis but plans to return next year.
McEnroe’s comments stemmed from an NPR interview in which he was asked about his belief that Williams was the “best female player ever ― no question.” Asked why he felt that he had to qualify that superlative with the best female title instead of just calling her the best tennis player in the world, McEnroe said, “Well because if she was in, if she played the men’s circuit she’d be like 700 in the world.”
“That doesn’t mean I don’t think Serena is an incredible player. I do,” he continued, going on to say that Williams had overcome much before he added, “But if she had to just play the circuit — the men’s circuit — that would be an entirely different story.
