Controversial video of Serena Williams mocking Dinara Safina’s zero Majors resurfaces amidst debate on trash talk in tennis

Williams' video of trash talking then World No.1 Safina emerges as players vouch to bring back the culture

As the ongoing debate on the inclusion of trash talk in tennis continues, an old press conference video of Serena Williams has been circulating. The American slammed the then No.1 ranked player, Dinara Safina. Williams ‘mocked’ the player for her top-most position in the WTA rankings. The interview took place in 2009.

Serena bashed the Russian for the ranking despite having no Grand Slam titles to her name. The video went viral as the discussion on the inclusion of trash talk among players has become more mainstream. Smack talk has been the center of discussion for the past few days. According to tennis rules, it is necessary to maintain decorum while playing

Serena implied in the interview that Safina was not as successful of a player as her. Most recently, John McEnroe and Andre Agassi brought back on-court jesting during the Pickleball Slam. Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula have been advocating to resurface amicable trash talk among competitors in the WTA as well.

In a post-Wimbledon presser in 2009, Williams implied that being a three-time Grand Slam champion would warrant a No.1 ranking and mocked Safina following the statement also. She also shaded the Russian by saying that she would rather have multiple major titles than have none and still be the top-most player in the world.

All this trash talk in tennis discourse is throwing me back to Serena's GOAT presser after winning Wimbledon 2009 pic.twitter.com/HMVFwLkxiK
— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) April 5, 2023

“Dinara did a great job to get to No.1. She won Rome and Madrid.” The 23-time Grand Slam champion said sarcastically. The throwback to the video is a contrast to the current standards of tennis, especially in WTA. In college tennis, trash talk has always been apparent. Compared to the WTA Tour, more words are exchanged in the ATP tournaments.

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Serena Williams’ mistreatment resurfaces with ongoing Clark-Reese controversy

Serena Williams has occasionally clashed with the tennis press over the years, receiving unwarranted criticism from commentators and pundits for her actions while playing. Although the 23-time Grand Slam champion’s emotional side is not unusual, she has drawn more criticism than most, which has led some people to believe that racism is a factor in the bias.

The ongoing controversy between Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark, where the former was criticized for making the same hand gestures as Clark, brought upon Williams’ experiences in the sport. Often, athletes of color have been targeted unfairly, according to the public. Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka have also been subjected to unethical treatment for example.