Venus and Serena Williams are two of the greatest players to grace the sport of tennis. At the same time, they are two of the most hated players. The two sisters have been a victim of racism and misogyny throughout their playing careers, especially in their own country. For instance, the duo were heavily booed at the 2002 Indian Wells for Venus’ withdrawal and the duo did not return to the venue for over a decade.

Recently, Stuart McClave, the Associate Producer of ‘On the Line: The Richard Williams Story‘ weighed in on this topic. McClave also played tennis in his early days and took inspiration from the Williams sisters and as a fan, he was quick to identify the unwarranted hate they received.

Stuart McClave opens up on the unjustified hate received by Venus and Serena Williams

The Producer took a trip down his memory lane to the early 2000s. He went back to his own club-level playing days and remembered the time when the sisters were looked down upon. Disappointing as it may seem, it does not come as a surprise. He sat with NFLMA and shared stories from the past.

McClave said, “When I was growing up, I would see the way that they would talk about Venus and Serena. Whether it was coaches that I had or players that would kind of make fun of the Williams sisters or their dad especially, like he was getting a lot of the brunt of it. I would just sit there, ‘How could you make fun of this family? They’re one of the greatest American families of all time’. Any of these privileged white players would get destroyed by Venus or Serena or even Richard playing now.”

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The unwarranted hate is present to this date. As early as last month, Venus Williams was one of the victims of this hate and she also received support from Martina Navratilova.

READ MORE: 6 Months After Failing to Convince Serena Williams, Ailing ‘King’ Richard Never Backs Down as He Becomes the Guiding Voice for 43YO Venus Williams in Her Quest for Tennis Glory

Martina Navratilova defended Venus Williams from a racist fan

Last month, we saw Venus Williams register her first top 50 win in years against Camila Giorgi. The match had plenty of controversy including one particular moment when the American lost her balance and slipped on the grass.

A particular fan accused Venus of playing the victim but Martina was not having any of it. She called out the fan for his comments and made it known to the rest of the community by quoting his tweet.

Do you think that online hate and racism should have strict consequences? Let us know in the comments.

WATCH THIS STORY: ‘When You Grow up Black in This Country..’- 5 Years After Serena Williams’ Raging Meltdown, Former Coach Dissects the ‘Trauma’ and the Aftermath That Followed