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Ilie gets 4-yr ban for racist Serena slur

Former grand slam winner Ilie Nastase has been banned from any official roles in tennis until 2021 and fined $10,000 for his foul-mouthed outbursts during a Fed Cup tie between Great Britain and Romania in April.

However, the 70-year-old Nastase will be able to attend any of the four tennis majors because they “lie outside the jurisdiction of the International Tennis Federation,” the ITF said.

During the tie, Nastase, the Romanian team captain, made “racially insensitive” comments about Serena Williams’ unborn child, the London-based organization said in an emailed statement on Friday.

He also made “abusive and threatening comments” to British No. 1 Jo Konta and a female British reporter who had reported his comments about Williams.

Nastase also swore at the umpire and “made advances of a sexual nature” to British team captain Anne Keothavong during a World Group II playoff clash in the Black Sea resort of Constanta.

The ITF internal adjudication panel has suspended the former world No. 1 from acting in an official capacity in all of its team competitions and tennis circuits until 31 December 2020. He will also be banned from attending such events until 2019 and fined $10,000.

 

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