Venus and Serena Williams urged to take a stance on "males competing against women" by swimmer Riley Gaines
Former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines has called on Venus and Serena Williams to share their stance on transgender women competing with biological females in women's sports.
Gaines has emerged as a prominent advocate against the inclusion of transgender athletes in women sports ever since she tied for fifth place with transgender swimmer Lia Thomas in the 200-meter NCAA championship in 2022. In April, she lobbied for the Kentucky state representatives to enact legislation that would restrict transgender individuals from competing in women's sports.
On May 8, the former University of Kentucky swimmer announced her decision to engage in a week-long initiaitive of calling upon prominent female athletes to express their views on the issue of "males competing against women." She began her campaign by urging Venus and Serena Williams for their opinions on the matter, stating that "silence is complicity."
"Each day for the next week I'm going to call on well-known female athletes to take a stance on this issue because silence is complicity...we need their voices. Day 1: @serenawilliams @Venuseswilliams how do you feel about males competing against women?," Gaines tweeted.
Each day for the next week I'm going to call on well-known female athletes to take a stance on this issue because silence is complicity...we need their voices.
Day 1: @serenawilliams @Venuseswilliams how do you feel about males competing against women?
Neither of the Williams sisters have responded to the tweet so far.
"I would lose 6-0, 6-0 to Andy Murray in 10 minutes" - Serena Williams on how men's and women's tennis are 'completely different' sports
In an interview with David Letterman in 2013, Serena Williams was asked about the possibility of her recreating the famous 'Battle of the Sexes' between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs.
The 23-time Grand Slam shut down the idea entirely. She recounted the offer she had received from Andy Murray to play aginst each other, stating that she would probably lose 6-0, 6-0 to the Brit in under 10 minutes.
"Andy Murray, he has been joking about myself and him playing a match and I'm like, Andy, seriously, like are you kidding me?" Serena Williams said. "So I'm like, if I were to play Andy Murray, I would lose 6-0, 6-0 in like five to six minutes, maybe 10 minutes,"
The former World No. 1 went on to outline the factors that make men's and women's tennis "completely different" sports.
"It's true, it's just completely, completely different sport. The men are a lot faster than me and they they get they serve harder," she continued. "They hit just a different game and I love to play women's tonight. I don't want to play girls because I don't want to be embarrassed."
She then circled back to Murray's offer to play against him, joking that she didn't want to be "killed" by the three-time Grand Slam champion.