Share

Serena: Lance story is sad

Melbourne - Serena Williams says Lance Armstrong let all athletes down by doping and lying about it for so long, while No. 1-ranked Victoria Azarenka says the disgraced cyclist "deserves everything he gets."

Williams and Azeranka, speaking on Saturday after their third-round wins at the Australian Open, said Armstrong's confession after such vehement denials cast doubt over other sports.

"I think a lot of people now look and are like, 'OK, if somebody (is) that great, what about everyone else in every other sport?'" Williams said.

"As an athlete, as someone that works really, really hard since I was 4 or 3, I think it's a sad day for all athletes in general. Overall, it's even more disappointing for the people that were adversely affected through everything. You can only just hope for the best for them."

Azeranka said "everybody works so hard to be the best."

"You cannot be a hero in the end of the day," Azeranka said. "You cannot lie. You cannot cheat. Everybody works so hard to be the best, and you have to respect that."

On Friday, Novak Djokovic said, "I think it's a disgrace for the sport to have an athlete like this" and that he should "suffer for his lies."

In the second half of his televised interview with Oprah Winfrey on Friday in the US, Armstrong said he lost $75m in sponsorship deals after his doping use was revealed.

In the first part, broadcast on Thursday, Armstrong admitted using performance-enhancing drugs when he won seven straight Tour de France titles.
We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1471 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2250 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE