Serena Williams’ Steubenville remarks were “insensitive and hurtful,” she says. Serena Williams told a press conference at Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia that she's reaching out to the family of the victim in the Steubenville rape case after she was quoted in a Rolling Stone article saying "she shouldn't have put herself in that position," according to published reports.

Serena Williams Steubenville comments brought immediate controversy on the tennis star. In a statement released through her agent, Williams said ''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, and I by no means would say or insinuate that she was at all to blame.''

In March, two football players from Steubenville, Ohio, high school were convicted of raping a drunken 16-year-old girl. One of the boys was ordered to serve an additional year for photographing the girl naked. Other students at the school took to social media to gossip about the incident.

In the statement, Williams said, ''What happened in Steubenville was a real shock for me. I was deeply saddened. For someone to be raped, and at only sixteen, is such a horrible tragedy! For both families involved - that of the rape victim and of the accused. 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 sixteen year old child.''

Serena Williams’ Steubenville comments in Rolling Stone brought heat on the tennis star. Williams said in the Rolling Stone interview that the people who did the crime ''did something stupid,'' but asked ''Do you think it was fair, what they got? I'm not blaming the girl, but if you're a 16-year-old and you're drunk like that, your parents should teach you: Don't take drinks from other people. She shouldn't have put herself in that position, unless they slipped her something, then that's different.''

Serena Williams Steubenville comment was made in only one paragraph of a lengthy interview the music magazine posted online the 16-time Grand Slam title winner. Williams is in England preparing for Wimbledon. Serena is currently ranked No. 1 heading into Wimbledon. The Wimbledon tournament starts next week.

WTA CEO Stacey Allaster said ''If she was accurately quoted, then Serena's comments were both insensitive and wrong. We disagree with the statements and have made that clear to her.''