After sparking conversations about sexism in the sport of tennis, Serena Williams is spending time with the most important person in her life.
The athlete, 36, shared a photo of herself with daughter Alexis Olympia on Instagram Monday. Though Williams posted the mother-daughter picture without a caption, many fans and followers noted the 1-year-old’s “protective” glance at the camera.
Singer Estelle commented, “Yes Alexis. That’s how we feel too #protectmommy.”
“Olympia’s lookin at that umpire the same way we were!” one fan wrote in the comments section, while another said: “Baby girl looking like don’t mess with my mama.”
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Williams’ photo comes three days after she got visibly frustrated during her highly-anticipated U.S. Open match against Naomi Osaka, which she lost after getting into a verbal altercation with umpire Carlos Ramos, whom the 23-time Grand Slam champion called “a thief.”
The mother of one received three code violations during their game, resulting in $17,000 in fines.
Williams first received a warning from chair umpire Carlos Ramos for illegal coaching from her player box during the first set, which the tennis star disputed. She was then given a point penalty for smashing her racket into the court, and minutes before the close of the match.
After the match on Saturday, Williams said she believes male players are often given much more leniency in what they can say to umpires, which sparked a conversation about sexism in the sport.
Tennis icon Billie Jean King said she believed gender and race ultimately played a role in how the game transpired.
“Women are treated differently in most arenas of life,” wrote King in the Washington Post on Sunday. “This is especially true for women of color. And what played out on the court yesterday happens far too often. It happens in sports, in the office and in public service. Ultimately, a woman was penalized for standing up for herself. A woman faced down sexism, and the match went on.”
Meanwhile, on Monday, Herald Sun artist Mark Knight tweeted an exaggerated caricature of Williams stomping on her tennis racket with a pacifier near her feet — which many felt was comparable to the stereotypes seen in anti-black political cartoons from the Jim Crow-era of America.
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