Ilie Nastase Banned from French Open over Serena Williams Remarks

French Open organizers announced Romania Fed Cup captain Ilie Nastase will not be credentialed for the 2017 event due to racist remarks he made about Serena Williams' unborn child:

Wimbledon had already banned Nastase, who was overheard questioning whether Williams' child with Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, who is white, would be "chocolate with milk." Williams released a statement on her Instagram criticizing the comments.

"It disappoints me to know we live in a society where people like Ilie Nastase can make such racist comments towards myself and unborn child, and sexist comments against my peers," Williams wrote.

"I am not afraid unlike you. You see, I am no coward. Does my sassiness upset you? Why are you beset with gloom? You may shoot me with your words...you may try to kill me with your hatefulness, but still like air I will rise."

Nastase won the 1973 French Open. He's been banned provisionally from all International Tennis Federation events. Nastase apologized for the comments in a Facebook post on April 28.

"I know that nothing can really excuse my words, nor a high-level match, not the nonconformist attitude I am now known for, not the unfortunate amplification of the situation," Nastase wrote (h/t the Associated Press, via the New York Times). "My life remains dedicated to tennis and its public and I ask you to accept, as much as is possible, my apologies."