(ATR) Australian Olympic swimming legend Dawn Fraser apologized for remarks directed at tennis players Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic, in which she said they should "go back to where their parents came from."
The Australian Kyrgios, who has a Greek father and Malaysian mother, responded on Twitter that Fraser is a "blatant racist, Australian legend." He also attacked her comments on Facebook. Tomic, also Australian, is German-born to a Croatian father and Bosnian mother.
Fraser apologized for her comments on Tuesday afternoon, admitting her message was "not delivered as articulately as it could have been."
"I want to unreservedly apologize for any comments that I made this morning which may have caused offense to my fellow Australians including Nick and his family," she said in a statement.
Fraser’s derogatory comments came in the wake of Kyrgios’ antics during a four-set Wimbledon loss against Frenchman Richard Gasquet on Monday. The controversial 20-year-old Australian tennis player appeared to have tanked a few points following a dispute with the referee. His on-court actions elicited boos from the Wimbledon audience and he later denied any wrongdoing at a post-match news conference.
Tomic has been suspended by Australia from Davis Cup play following disparaging remarks at a Wimbledon press conference.
Appearing as a guest on Nine Network’s Today Show in Australia, the 77-year-old Fraser said: "They should be setting a better example for the younger generation of this great country of ours. If they don’t like it, go back to where their parents came from. We don’t need them here in this country to act like that."
Fraser, an eight-time Olympic medalist, also labeled Kyrgios’ on-court behavior as "absolutely disgusting."
Asked whether she felt Kyrgios' behavior was the result of having too much money and fame while too young, Fraser agreed, saying, "We don't need them here in this country if they act like that."
Kyrgios’s mother, Nill, who was born in Malaysia, also took to Twitter: "I have no comments on Dawn Fraser's nasty racist attack. But she is out of line. #unaustralianbehaviour."
Fraser said she stood by her comments of this morning.
"I’m not a racist person, if you take [my comments] that way then I’m sorry that you take it that way, but I’m not racist at all," she said, according to Fairfax.
"I said, ‘If they don’t want to be Australians, then maybe they should go back to the country where their parents come from’. That’s not being racist.
"I can see it being interpreted that way ... but it wasn’t intended that way."
Written by Brian Pinelli
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