Rowling condemns Serena Williams' 'racist and sexist' cartoon

Harry Potter author J K Rowling has joined several celebrities in criticising an Australian cartoonist for his "racist and sexist" caricature of tennis superstar Serena Williams at the US Open.

Mark Knight's cartoon, which appeared in Australian newspaper Herald Sun, depicted the 23-time Grand Slam champion stomping on her smashed racket as a dummy lay on the court after she lost the final to her Japanese opponent Naomi Osaka.

Osaka is pictured as white and blonde despite her Japanese and Haitian heritage. The 20-year-old is seen reasoning politely with the umpire Carlos Ramos who asks, "can you just let her win?"

"Well done on reducing one of the greatest sportswomen alive to racist and sexist tropes and turning a second great sportswoman into a faceless prop," Rowling tweeted on Monday.

The cartoon has been blasted by numerous athletes, celebrities, journalists and activists.

The National Association of Black Journalists said the cartoon was "repugnant" on many levels.

"The ...