Serena Williams has just announced she will take part in the annual Hopman Cup in Perth later this year and play a mixed doubles game against world no. 2 tennis player, Roger Federer.
The 23-time grand slam champion will represent the United States alongside Frances Tiafoe at the team event, and is set to face Federer on New Year's Day in 2019, when USA meet Switzerland.
'I always enjoy playing in Western Australia and in front of the crowd there at Perth Arena,' Williams said on Wednesday, reports Yahoo!.
'The Aussie fans are always so warm and supportive and the Hopman Cup has always given me a great start to the season, especially ahead of the Australian Open.'
While the news should be celebrated among tennis fans - after all, it's not every day you see two of the most legendary tennis players go head-to-head - several Australian fans have taken to social media to voice their outrage at the prospect of Williams playing Federer.
From mocking her opening up about her experience of motherhood, to criticism of her behaviour following her US Open defeat last month, the backlash has been notably sexist, with some referring to her as a 'spoilt brat' and 'classless'.
Meanwhile, Federer has been described as being a 'great role model' and a 'calm headed articulated player', just nine years after his infamous US Open Men's Final rant during which he swore multiple times at chair umpire Jake Garner.
During the match, the player reportedly repeatedly told the umpire: 'Don’t [expletive] talk to me' and 'Don’t tell me when to be quiet, okay? When I want to talk, I’ll talk.' As a result, the player was fined $1,500 (£1,156), reports People.
Fortunately, the vociferous hate has been outweighed by fans who shared their excitement at seeing 48 grand slam titles in action on one court.
Last month, the six-time US Open champion was handed a coaching violation and a point penalty for breaking her racquet before a heated discussion with umpire Carlos Ramos, which ultimately saw her lose the game to Japan's Naomi Osaka.
The player called the umpire a thief, was fined $17,000 (£13,100) over the incident.
At the US Open last month, Serena Williams demanded an apology for what she called a 'sexist remark' from an empire.
In a press conference later int he day, she said her comment was part of her continued fight for 'women's rights and women's equality'.'I will continue to talk about uncomfortable topics,' she told ELLE.com weeks later. 'In order to make change.'
In the days that followed her defeat, a cartoonist faced criticism for his interpretation of Serena Williams at the competition.
Mark Knight's drawing, which was published in Australian newspaper the Herald Sun, portrayed the tennis superstar throwing a tantrum next to a smashed racket and a baby's dummy during the final against Osaka.
The image, which was shared by Knight, has been slammed by many on social media, including JK Rowling and American civil rights activist the Rev Jesse Jackson, plus several female sports journalists and broadcasters.
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
