Serena Williams has apologised for comments she made in a forthcoming interview in which she appeared to assign blame to the 16-year-old victim in the Steubenville, Ohio, rape case for being drunk.
"What happened in Steubenville was a real shock for me. I was deeply saddened," the women's world number one said in a statement on her website.
"For someone to be raped, and at only 16, is such a horrible tragedy! For both families involved - that of the rape victim and of the accused. I am currently reaching out to the girl's family to let her know that I am deeply sorry for what was written in the Rolling Stone article.
"What was written -- what I supposedly said -- is insensitive and hurtful. I by no means would say or insinuate that she was at all to blame.
"I have fought all of my career for women's equality, women's equal rights, respect in their fields -- anything I could do to support women I have done.
"My prayers and support always goes out to the rape victim. In this case, most especially, to an innocent 16-year-old child."
The victim accused two Ohio high school American football players of raping her while she was drunk at a party and testified that she remembered little of what happened in the early hours of August 12, 2012, when she says she was assaulted.