BUCHAREST, Romania: Ilie Nastase made an attempt at apologizing for his comments about Serena Williams and his outburst during a Fed Cup match.
The 70-year-old tennis great posted a statement on Facebook a week after he speculated about the skin color of the baby the pregnant Williams is expecting.
“At the press conference I was asked what opinion I had about Serena being pregnant. I then found out for the first time (she was pregnant) and my reaction was spontaneous,” said Nastase, who is the captain of Romania’s Fed Cup team.
Nastase also said Williams was “one of the greatest players of all times and I know how much work goes into achieving these results.”
Williams is black and her fiance, Alexis Ohanian, is white.
Nastase was also criticized for swearing at player Johanna Konta and Britain captain Anne Keothavong during a Fed Cup match. He said he would not try to “defend my words, but I assure you that behind them was my desire to defend the interests of the Romanian team and Romanian tennis.”
Romania won the best-of-five series 3-2, but Nastase was banned by the International Tennis Federation.
Nastase called tennis not a sport but “my life,” saying his outburst meant “I managed to do what I didn’t imagine was possible, to feel that tennis was slipping away from me.”
“I know that nothing can really excuse my words, nor a high-level match, not the non-conformist attitude I am now known for, not the unfortunate amplification of the situation,” he said. “My life remains dedicated to tennis and its public and I ask you to accept, as much as is possible, my apologies.”
Despite the apology, he also took another shot at Konta.
“I think what happened was exaggerated from all sides. Nonetheless, Johanna Konta should not have spoken with the chair umpire, that’s what the team captain does,” Nastase said. “I asked her in a civilized way for some explanations and she sent me to the tribune where I was removed as captain. After this, the umpire suspended the match. I don’t know why the match was suspended.”
Nastase earned the nickname “Nasty” for his on-court outbursts and gamesmanship in his playing heyday in the 1970s. But it also described his game, which earned him two Grand Slam singles titles and more than 100 ATP titles. He’s a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
Nastase issues apology for remarks about Serena Williams
Nastase issues apology for remarks about Serena Williams
LIV Golf to increase regular season field size to 57, adds third qualifying spot for LIV Golf Promotions
- LIV Golf Promotions will now reward the top three finishers with full-season wild card spots in the 2026 LIV Golf League
NEW YORK: LIV Golf on Tuesday announced it has increased its regular season field size and enhanced the qualifying opportunities for 2026 in the third edition of LIV Golf Promotions, set for Jan. 8–11 at the acclaimed Black Diamond Ranch in Lecanto, Florida.
The four-day, 72-hole stroke play event presents one of the most dynamic entry points into the global golf ecosystem, offering spots in the 2026 LIV Golf League and The International Series, sanctioned by the Asian Tour.
Beginning this February, LIV Golf’s regular season field size will increase to 57 players, with 13 four-player teams and five wild card players competing throughout the League’s global schedule.
LIV Golf Promotions will now reward the top three finishers with full-season wild card spots in the 2026 LIV Golf League, an increase from the two spots previously announced.
The top 10 finishers, including ties, will earn full exemption into the 2026 International Series, the set of elevated events sanctioned by the Asian Tour. The move further enhances the pathways into LIV Golf from 2025 to 2026, with an increase in exemptions from one to two players through The International Series and an increase from one to three players through LIV Golf Promotions. The five qualifying players will compete independently as wild cards in 2026 with guaranteed spots in the League’s 13 regular season events.
“LIV Golf is committed to moving the sport forward by expanding opportunity and access,” said LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil. “We are opening pathways — creating more chances for top talent to compete in the world’s golf league. Adding another qualifying spot strengthens our field and adds excitement to a season built on opportunity, competition, and growth.”
The top three finishers in LIV Golf Promotions will enter the 2026 LIV Golf League alongside Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent and Japan’s Yosuke Asaji, who sealed their spots as the top two players in the final rankings of the 2025 International Series, which concluded last month at the 2025 PIF Saudi International at Riyadh Golf Club.
