Australian cartoonist Mark Knight defended his depiction of tennis star Serena Williams at the US Open finals on Tuesday after receiving a wave of criticism calling his drawing racist and sexist. The cartoon depicts a fat-lipped, large-nosed Williams jumping on her tennis racket, with a baby pacifier nearby — perhaps referencing her status as a new mother or the artist’s interpretation of her behavior on the court. In the background, the umpire leans over to a woman ostensibly depicting tournament-winner Naomi Osaka — who is of Haitian-Japanese descent, although the cartoonist gave her long, blonde hair — asking: “Can you just let her win?” Knight hit back at critics, saying the cartoon was only about the “tantrum” Williams had during the US Open final. “That’s what the cartoon was about, her poor behavior on the court,” he told Australian broadcaster ABC. “Nothing to do with gender or racism at all.” Melbourne’s Herald Sun newspaper, which published the cartoon on Monday, said that they supported both Knight and the drawing. “Criticism of Mark Knight’s Serena Williams cartoon shows the world has gone too PC & misunderstands the role of news media cartoons and satire,” said Michael Miller, executive chairman of News…