Serena Williams apologises for 'insensitive and hurtful' comments about teen rape victim

American tennis star Serena Williams has offered an apology for her comments about a teenage rape victim, whom she had termed as 'not a virgin' and 'drunk' at the time of her assault.

In an excerpt from Rolling Stone magazine, Williams criticised a 16-year-old girl who was raped by two football players, her fellow school students, while she was drunk, in Ohio in August 2012.

Apologising for her remarks, the 16-time Grand Slam singles champion called those remarks 'what I supposedly said' in a statement in which she said that she was sorry 'for what was written' by Rolling Stone, adding that she was shocked and saddened by the incident, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

According to Williams, what was written about what she supposedly said is insensitive and hurtful, and she would never say or insinuate that the victim was at all to blame.

Stating that it is a 'horrible tragedy' for a person to be raped, and at such a young age, Williams further said that both the families of the rape victims and the accused have had to suffer the consequences, adding that she is currently reaching out to the girl's family to let her know that she is sorry for what was written in the Rolling Stone article.

Stating that she had fought in her entire career for women's equality, rights, respect in their fields, Williams also said that she has done everything that she can to support women, adding that her prayers and support will always go out to the rape victim.

According to the interview from Rolling Stone magazine, he World No.1 had said that that the girl should have been taught by her parents not to accept drinks from other people, as the case could have been much worse than it was.

Stating that the girl should not drunk so much to put herself in that position, Williams further said that the girl may not have been a virgin, although she admitted that the culprits might have slipped a drug into her drink.