ITF Investigating Former Tennis Champion Ilie Nastase’s Alleged Racist Comments on Serena Williams’ Pregnancy

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has said that it is investigating comments made by Ilie Nastase, 70, former Tennis world number one and captain of the Romanian Tennis team.

Mirror UK reports that he made the comments on the eve of Romania’s Fed Cup play-off against Great Britain.

Nastase, speaking in Romanian, made the comment to the other players while the country’s number one Simona Halep was answering a question about Serena Williams.

Serena Williams recently announced that she is expecting a child with her fiance Alexis Ohanian, who is white. She also said that she is taking the 2017 season off.

“Let’s see what colour it has. Chocolate with milk?” Nastase was reportedly heard saying.

He also reportedly made made inappropriate remarks to Great Britain captain Anne Keothavong.

“Having asked for her room number during the official dinner on Thursday, Nastase then repeated the request when the captains posed together for photographs following Friday’s draw,” Mirror UK wrote.

Here’s Nastase asking Keothavong for her room number. You’ll have to lip read but it’s not difficult pic.twitter.com/uft5uzoblK

— Eleanor Crooks (@EleanorcrooksPA) April 21, 2017

According to BBC, the ITF is investigating the case.

“The ITF does not tolerate discriminatory and offensive language and behaviour of any kind. We are aware of alleged comments made by Romanian captain Ilie Nastase and have begun an immediate investigation so that we have the full facts of the situation before taking further and appropriate action,” BBC quoted an ITF spokesperson as saying.

Nastase was appointed captain of the Romania team in October and is a former president of the country’s tennis federation.

The Romanian tennis federation declined to comment on the issue.