Serena Williams Slams Officials Over Team USA Diarrhea Outbreak at Phuket 2025 World Aquatics Championships: “This Is Unacceptable”
Tennis legend Serena Williams has spoken out strongly following reports that multiple members of Team USA’s swimming and diving squads were severely affected by a diarrhea outbreak traced back to unsanitary conditions at their training camp in Phuket, Thailand, ahead of the 2025 World Aquatics Championships.
In a scathing social media post and follow-up interview with USA Today, Williams expressed her outrage at the organizing and oversight failures, placing blame squarely on the shoulders of both the local camp managers and U.S. team officials.
“This is completely unacceptable. These are elite athletes representing their country, and they deserve better — much better,” Williams said.
“To let them train in conditions that led to widespread illness right before one of the most important events of the year? That’s a disgrace.”
According to early reports, over a dozen athletes and several support staff members experienced acute gastrointestinal symptoms, forcing many to withdraw from events or compete while visibly weakened. The outbreak is believed to have originated from contaminated water sources or poorly maintained food preparation facilities at the Phuket training site.
Williams, known for her advocacy for athlete welfare, didn’t mince words when discussing what she called a “preventable failure”:
“There’s no excuse. This isn’t a youth camp, it’s Team USA. If this had happened to a European team or in a major football tournament, heads would roll. Why are we accepting this for our swimmers and divers?”
Her comments were echoed by several prominent athletes and sports commentators, many of whom called for a full investigation into the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee’s (USOPC) choice of training venue and its lack of immediate crisis response.
Fans have taken to social media under hashtags like #TeamUSAFailed and #PhuketOutbreak, demanding accountability and medical transparency.
One anonymous Team USA staffer told the press:
“We raised concerns about the food and water within the first 48 hours. Nothing changed. Now look at the result.”
Williams ended her interview by emphasizing that this isn’t just a scandal, it’s a wake-up call:
“We talk so much about medals and performance, but basic health and safety come first. This can’t ever happen again — not in swimming, not in any sport.”
As the World Aquatics Championships continue under a shadow of frustration and regret for Team USA, Serena Williams’ voice serves as a powerful reminder that athlete dignity starts long before they step onto the world stage.
