Give it a twirl? More like give it a rest. Serena Williams wasn't all that amused when she was asked to "twirl" during a post-interview at the Australian Open on Wednesday, Jan. 21.
The brief moment proved to be an uncomfortable one for the athlete, who often dazzles the crowd with her bold and eye-catching outfit choices on the court. But alas, the fashion designer gave in when asked by Channel 7 tennis commentator Ian Cohen.
"A commentator asked me to twirl. I wouldn't ask Rafa [Nadal] or Roger [Federer] to twirl," Williams, 33, said, via The Guardian, referencing the male athletes. "Whether it's sexist or not, I don't know."
"I didn't really want to twirl because I was just like, you know, I don't need all the extra attention. But, yeah, it was fine. I don't think and look that deep into it," she continued. "Life is far too short to focus on that. We have so many other problems we want to deal with that we should focus on. Whether I twirl or not, it's not the end of the world. It's about being positive and just moving forward."
The question to spin sparked some outrage by viewers via Twitter, but fellow tennis pro Eugenie Bouchard, 20, also kicked up her heels — receiving loud hollering and cheers from the crowd in the process. When first asked, however, she did appear reluctant and taken aback.
"It was very unexpected. I mean, yeah, I don't know," she later said. "An old guy asking you to twirl, it was funny."
Watch Bouchard's twirl above now.
