Serena Williams slams Maria Sharapova, claims she's unjustly treated due to race

Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova

Serena Williams has slammed Russian tennis beauty Maria Sharapova and said that society forces her to be doubly nice to earn public respect as she is black.

"I feel like people think I'm mean. Really tough and really mean. But Maria (Sharapova), who might not talk to anybody, might be perceived by the public as being nicer. Why is that? Because I'm black and so I look mean? That's the society we live in. That's life. It's a situation that forces her to be twice as good to get the public's respect," Williams told Daily Star.

"They say African-Americans have to be twice as good, especially women. I'm perfectly Ok with having to be twice as good," added Williams, who is expecting her first child with with Reddit co-founder fiancé Alexis Ohanian. In a recent interview to Vogue magazine, Williams also reacted to claims that people found Sharapova as good as her and the only reason she wins is because of her serve.

"I was like, 'wait a minute, please. I place my serve. And what about my volleys? My speed' I'm the player who's hitting angles. I use my brain, and that's really why I win," added Williams.

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