By Riddhi Acharya

Copyright sportskeeda

Serena Williams has recently been embroiled in an internet controversy over her comments about the cotton decorations at an N.Y.C Hotel. In light of this, the tennis star’s husband defended her and put her critics on blast.Williams was recently in New York for a SKIMS event. During her trip, the former World No.1 noticed a cotton decoration in the lobby of the hotel she was staying at and expressed her disapproval over the decor. Taking to her Instagram stories, the 44-year-old asked fans what they thought of the cotton plant, while stating ‘personally for me, it doesn’t feel great’.In response, several fans felt that Serena Williams had been overreacting. Additionally, several articles recently drew attention to the cotton decorations the tennis star has in her own home, highlighting the ‘Monument for a Promise’ sculpture by Radcliffe Bailey that sits in her foyer. Responding to this, Alexis Ohanian put the news outlets on blast, writing on X,“Folks entitled to have their opinions, but to use owning Radcliffe Bailey’s Monument for a Promise as some kind of a ‘gotchya’ is so breathtakingly stupid—there is some very obvious symbolism of the cotton in the artwork.”Bailey’s ‘Monument for a Promise’ is a sculpture that shows a donkey carrying a trunk over a mound of cotton. The sculpture explores themes of race and holds strong symbolism.Serena Williams shares honest life update with fansWilliams at the NikeSKIMS Launch Event at Nike House of Innovation New York (Image Source: Getty)Serena Williams recently gave fans an honest life update. Taking to Instagram, she shared snaps of herself dressed in a chic red dress and penned an emotional note about her summer. The American stated that she dealt with a difficult August but had taken some time away to reconnect with herself and encouraged her followers to do the same, writing,“Dearest gentle reader, my summer started out well but I was plunged into a difficult August. Like many of you, I faced challenges that tested my spirit and resilience. Life can sometimes feel overwhelming and it’s easy to lose sight of what truly matters-your mental health and well-being. I took some time away to breathe, to reconnect with myself, and to remember that it’s perfectly okay to pause and reconnect. Even if it’s just a quiet night to yourself. Anything counts.” View this post on Instagram Instagram PostSerena Williams is widely regarded as one of the best tennis players of all-time. Her career on the courts saw her win 23 singles Grand Slam titles and spend 319 weeks as the World No.1. Since hanging up her racquet Williams has gone on to explore new adventures as a businesswoman.