Film director's comments to Williams sisters reeks of the misogynoir 2 tennis greats have always endured

This is a column by Shireen Ahmed, who writes opinion for CBC Sports. For more information about CBC's Opinion section, please see the FAQ.

In sports, there will always be a winner. I appreciate the delight and gratitude of champions who revel in their moment. It is important to celebrate a victor's journey and I absolutely love the heroics of an underdog and those who faced insurmountable barriers and challenges.

It is formidable when a winner shows sportsmanship and extends kindness in that moment of glory. Conversely, it is despicable when a winner looks down on others from atop the podium. 

Tennis legend Billie Jean King, who I consider the patron saint of women's sports, famously said: "I think self-awareness is probably the most important thing towards being a champion."

Though it is only March, this year already has brought a lot of self-awareness from athletes and from sports.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine thrust sports to the political forefront. We have seen athletes be so public and sincere in their grief. And still many continue to navigate through systems of racism and sexism — systems that are also damaging and violent. 

Just this past weekend, four-time Grand Slam tennis champion Naomi Osaka was heckled while competing at the prestigious BNP Paribas tournament in Indian Wells, Calif. Someone in the crowd yelled out, "Naomi, you suck." Osaka immediately went to the umpire, who dismissed the complaint and refused to eject the heckler. Osaka eventually lost the match.

WATCH | Naomi Osaka reacts to being heckled:

Afterward, she took the mic and addressed the crowd. She thanked them repeatedly through her tears (read: champion behaviour.) But she also specified that it wasn't the issue of being heckled — it was that she was being heckled at the same tournament that in 2001 Venus and Serena Williams were booed and racially abused.

At that tournament, their father and coach, Richard Williams, had been unjustly accused of orchestrating a result in the semifinal between the sisters, having Venus Williams withdraw because of an injury. Serena Williams went on to win the tournament but was still booed. Richard Williams was called the n-word. As a result, the Williams sisters boycotted the tournament for 14 years.

Osaka said that the memory of the Williams family getting booed played repeatedly in her head. For those arguing that she should withstand the pressure and heckling, there is more at play because of Osaka's own experience as a racialized woman in tennis. And why should Osaka have to manage the terrible behaviour of a wretched and unkind person? Why wasn't the woman who heckled her disciplined for disgraceful behaviour and contributing to systems of toxicity in tennis? 

The lack of resolution shown by the match umpire was the first breakdown in any advocacy for Osaka's well-being. For racialized athletes, heckling is not simply a form of disrespect, it is marinated in sexism and racism as well. Black and Brown women athletes do not divorce their identities from each other, and criticism of them needs to be understood with this nuance.

During this same weekend, the wondrous Serena and Venus Williams were attending the Critics Choice Awards to present to those who worked on the film King Richard. It is a movie about their father, the journey of the family and the world of tennis. But amidst the celebration emerged another ugly event, again from a woman. 

Jane Campion won Best Director for her film, The Power of the Dog. As a white woman from a very respected and established New Zealand family, this was an award she clearly cherished. The beaming and grinning Campion approached the mic and accepted the award and gave her love to the other nominees — all men.