Caroline Wozniacki made sure Serena Williams was the butt of her jokes during her exhibition match against Maria Sharapova, by using towels to impersonate the ample curves of her American pal. She has thus been accused of 'racism'. The 22-year-old Dane and Sharapova were in Brazil to promote the 2016 Olympic Games, but found time to lark around during the two-set contest, the Metro.co.uk reported.

Wozniacki mentioned during a press conference after the game that she was performing an impression of her friend and fellow tennis player Serena Williams.

On Tumblr, one blogger wrote: 'This isn’t “harmless fun” as one article described it. its racist. out and outright racism. mocking and making fun of the bodies of black women for a laugh? real funny, stupid white girl. real real funny.'

Another blogger pointed out: 'It may have been done in “jest,” but I love how people can can turn a black woman’s body and sexuality into a caricature. However, we should not have the autonomy to celebrate any successes of our own.

While on feministing.com, an article read: 'Given the history and current-day context of racialized standards of beauty, and the hypersexualization of people of color, when a white woman makes fun of a black women’s body, especially in a way that hypersexualizes her and draws on the stereotype of black women’s big butts, it’s racist.'

This was not the first time Wozniacki imitated the American icon - she copied her last year as well.
 
The joke was not lost on Williams, who defeated Wozniacki in five of their six matches this year including quarter-finals at London Olympics.
 
She tweeted: "Do they make Brazilian bikinis for, um, well, me?".