Harmless Fun' or 'Outright Racism'? Wait Until You See How This Popular Tennis Pro Dressed Up Like Serena Williams During a Match

Tennis pro Caroline Wozniacki deviated from her regular tennis routine in Sao Paulo recently, highlighting her backside more than her backhand.  Following in the tradition of Andy Roddick and Novak Djokovic, Wozniacki took aim at her opponent (Maria Sharipova) by pretending to be a much more formidable player-- Serena Williams, to be exact.

Stuffing her top and bottom with towels, Wozniacki strutted onto the court pretending to be her curvier, more successful rival.

The Associated Press snapped a full-length photo:

Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki jokingly wears towels under her clothes as she plays a Gillette Federer Tour exhibition tennis match with Russia's Maria Sharapova in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Friday, Dec. 7, 2012. (Photo: AP)

Reactions have been surprisingly mixed.

Yahoo Sports called it "hilarious," adding that Wozniacki's impersonation was "uncanny."

USA Today's report gave less praise, but only really critical of the fact that Wozniacki didn't take the impression further:

If you're going to be Serena, hit your return with ferocity and glare at a linesperson. Hold up a picture of Kim Kardashian and listen to Green Day. Do something.

I can take off my shirt and say I'm imitating Matthew McConaughey, but if I don't start every sentence with "all right, all right, all right" and overuse the words "ladies," then what was it all for?

The Huffington Post, on the other hand, seems very convinced that Wozniacki's stunt was racist.  They posted an excerpt from a tumblr page reading:

...this isn’t “harmless fun” as one article described it. its racist. out and outright racism. mocking and making fun of the bodies of black women for a laugh? real funny, stupid white girl. real real funny.

They also re-posted this tweet: "Even as champions, all that matters is the deviation of our sexual organs from the white standard and that we are hot to trot."

Take a look at the video and decide for yourself:

Though Wozniacki lost the match, she actually won the point where she pretended to be Serena.  As USA Today points out, "this could be an effective strategy for all future Sharapova opponents."  The Russian tennis player has an excellent overall record, but always seems to choke up against Serena.

The match ended harmoniously though, with the two sharing a photo with Roger Federer (who can be seen laughing in the video):

Russia's Maria Sharapova, right, and Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki pose for pictures with Switzerland's Roger Federer after playing a Gillette Federer Tour exhibition tennis match in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Friday, Dec. 7, 2012. (Photo: AP)

Keep in mind when making your decision that tennis players have a long tradition of imitating one another.

Here, for example, is Andy Roddick imitating Sharapova:

He once spoofed Serena Williams, too:

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