Serena Williams lost the US Open final in the most shambolic sports moment of the year

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I hoped to write about Serena Williams winning her long-awaited 24th singles Slam title. But that didn’t happen – she was beaten by Naomi Osaka, a young woman who plays a lot like a younger version of Serena. If Osaka’s victory had been a straight-forward win, of course it would have been notable and widely discussed. But as it turns out, the actual tennis match was not what people will remember. They’ll remember the name Carlos Ramos, who was the umpire on the match. He gave Serena her first violation (a warning) because Serena’s coach Patrick Mouratoglou was “coaching” her from the box. WTA players can have on-court coaching during WTA events but not during Slams. Patrick was making a motion to Serena to tell her to move in to net, and Carlos Ramos saw Patrick do that. What no one is sure about is whether Serena actually saw or understood Patrick’s coaching. Which is why she reacted this way to the first warning:

I think Serena is saying that she saw Patrick give her a thumbs up, and considering the distance from where she was standing to her box, that’s a possibility. And Serena’s argument was that a thumbs-up is not coaching. Except he was. This was Patrick’s coaching:

After the match, Patrick admitted that he was coaching and that ALL coaches coach their players during Slams and he even name-checked certain players, like Rafa Nadal:

But, as I said, there was no point violation or anything there, it was just a warning. Then after Serena dropped the first set, she broke her racquet. Second violation. It comes with a point penalty. After that, Serena got really angry and she argued with Carlos Ramos even more and she invoked her daughter and said that of course she wouldn’t cheat, because she was still caught up in the fact that he gave her the first warning for coaching. In her mind, the racquet break should have been her first violation.

She was still mad about it during a second set changeover, where she and Carlos Ramos argued. She called him a “liar” and a “thief” for the point penalty. And that’s when he gave her a third violation for “verbal abuse” and a GAME penalty, meaning the match was almost over. Serena completely lost her cool then – she was crying, she called for the supervisor, and here’s part of what happened:

This is where I was completely behind Serena – you can argue the finer points of coaching and all of that, but to be given a “verbal abuse” code violation for merely venting – in perhaps justifiable anger – that the umpire is a “thief” is NOT VERBAL ABUSE. Serena is absolutely right when she said it was sexism and that men are allowed to get away with saying a lot worse on-court without getting any violations. She didn’t use profanity, she didn’t call him an obscene name. She called him a thief because he gave her a point violation which she did not think it was fair.

So from there, everything was a blur of absolute shambles. Few people in the crowd understood what was happening. Osaka won the match in the next few minutes and people booed her (this poor girl). Serena gave her a big hug and then Serena refused to shake hands with Carlos Ramos, telling him again that he needed to apologize to her.

The trophy presentation was rough too. The crowd was still booing, Osaka started crying and Serena put her arm around Osaka to comfort her. Serena was in tears too.

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146 Responses to “Serena Williams lost the US Open final in the most shambolic sports moment of the year”

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  1. ZsaZsa Fierce says:

    I love Serena but she behaved really badly.

    • FLORC says:

      She’s a fierce competitor. 1 side she should have kept her cool. Other side… this was unfair. I’d argue too given the stakes.

      I think serena showed a lot of humility comforting Osaka. That defines character imo.

      • Alissa says:

        I don’t follow tennis, but I do follow baseball, and if any player was arguing with the ump, calling him a liar and a thief and breaking their bat in purpose, they would have been thrown from the game.

        plus, her coach admitted he was coaching – it doesn’t matter if other coaches have gotten away with it, those are the rules and they got a violation from it.

        I don’t think this is sexism, although I understand Serena’s frustration because I do think the league is tougher on her than other players based on what I’ve read. I feel really bad for Osaka though, and I thought Serena was very gracious to her.

    • Bella DuPont says:

      Banned catsuits, outrageous ballerina twirls and tutus, shattered rackets, umpire showdowns, fiery , tear-filled losses……..

      Absolutely *NOBODY* brings the drama like GOAT, Queen Serena.

      Long may she reign!

      • Xyz says:

        Over doing it.

      • Bella DuPont says:

        Not really. She pushed back against a thirsty, sexist, power hungry umpire.

        Could she have quietly “taken it” for the sake of the brilliant Osaka? Maybe.

        But maybe it’s also time to stop quietly taking it.

        I hope they never let him near a grand slam court ever again.

      • Lilly says:

        @Bella DuPont I’m glad you’re on this thread. Think I’ll stop reading now.

      • Bella DuPont says:

        @ Lilly

        Don’t let the door smack you on the way out. 😘

      • Lilly says:

        @Bella Du Pont I sincerely meant my appreciation for your POV and I apologize that I was unclear. I meant I would stop reading after your posts, with which I agree. Due to squats the doors due usually hit my butt on the way out, so there’s that. 🙂

      • Ardnamurchan says:

        Bella, Lilly, this is Celebitchy, not reddit.
        All opinions are aired here but rudeness to each other is not the Celebitchy way.

      • Bella DuPont says:

        @ Lilly

        Goodness…..I completely misunderstood your message and over-reacted (as usual!!). Please accept my sincere apologies (and blushes). 🙂 🙂 🙂

        @ Ardnamurchin

        Yes Sir/Madam…..that was completely my fault, so duly noted. 😉

    • Kathy says:

      I never watch tennis, but I found a stream of this just because I knew Kaiser would cover it. I don’t know enough about the rules to understand what was fair and what wasn’t, but I felt like I was watching someone have a breakdown. It was bizarre. I feel horrible for both players. What a terrible stain on your first slam win, and it wasn’t Osaka’s fault at all.

    • Clare says:

      Agree – I am normally a Serena fan (although I will admit Venus is really my girl), but this display from her was outrageous and embarrassing. I understand that she was emotional and pissed off (perhaps justifiably), but this is no way for a professional athlete to behave, and continue behaving on court. It is the very antithesis of sportsmanship. I saw shades of McEnroe in her today (ick, he is the worst), and that makes me so sad. If ANY other player had behaved this way we would NOT be defending them.

      Frankly, she may have felt the ref robbed her, but SHE robbed Osaka of the joy of winning her first grand slam. And no, she wouldn’t have won the match without the code violations and penalty. She was outplayed today.

      And, before you flame me, I fully accept that the ref may have been unfair and biased against her (I am no pro, I don’t know) but the place to challenge that is not on court, and certainly not by calling the ref names. She certainly has the clout to challenge unfair calls afterwards.

      Sad situation all round – that Osaka has been robbed of enjoying a victory she earned, and that Serena (Still GOAT no doubt) will now forever be tagged with this one off display.

      • Doc says:

        Well said Clare.

      • sushi says:

        Well said. True sportsmanship shows when you lose. And Serena lost badly both the match and sportsmanship.

      • P says:

        Agree. Naomi deserved her first win, and now all that is in the news is Serena’s behaviour.

      • Megan says:

        Players argue with refs all the time. The question isn’t whether Serena was right or wrong, the question is why are women penalized more harshly than men? It was the ref, not Serena, who stepped on Naomi’s moment.

      • Eveil says:

        You’re absolutely wrong in a million ways. I won’t bother to say why as others will but Serena was a class act to Naomi, her actions are justifiable and your reaction to her is the product of years of policing women’s behaviors.

      • Snappyfish says:

        Bowing to Clare & Her spot on comment . My heart broke for Osaka. She was the better player yesterday and her win (her 1st slam) will be forever overshadowed.

      • Really says:

        Serena was out played.

      • Ardnamurchan says:

        Everything you said, Clare.
        Especially the bit about saving complaints for the post-match press conference.
        When they go low, we go high.

        As for poor young Osaka, who’d dreamed of this moment all her life, she behaved with the grace and fortitude of the champion that she is. But she deserved so much more.

        Update: ive read downthread the passionate defences of Serena and am open to persuasion.

      • Carrie says:

        Please read Down Girl. If we don’t get together on this as women, we’ve got no fair chance at anything.

        Read it. I beg you Clare.

    • nikki says:

      Agreed. Poor sportsmanship is poor sportsmanship. No, you don’t get to vent and call a ref a “thief”, that will get you a violation in a LOT of sports.

    • Bella Bella says:

      Let’s you get drug tested more than any other player in the league. The woman deals with racism and sexism constantly. I’m amazed she doesn’t blow her top more often. Her coach is targeted when other coaches are not?! Calling the umpire out for the hypocrisy that she would be penalized for calling the umpire a “thief” when a man would not is not wrong in my book. This thing escalated and Mr. Snowflake White Man in his throne decided to rattle Serena and throw off her game. SUCKS that he can get away with it and not get penalized himself. Toss him from working Grand Slams!

    • Huh says:

      She embarrassed herself and should have acted like a professional and kept her cool….and she would have lost either way, but this way her behaviour wouldn’t have overshadowed the champions first win.

    • Catherine says:

      No. Serena has been accused of everything in the book, and as a mom she’s no longer going to eat that in prime time and I love her for it. If you are a regular tennis watcher, Rafa, Roger, Novak (who threw a fit when opponent called for time out to change clothes in QF, Novak took his shirt off in protest, threw it on the ground without any consequence) and they NEVER get violations. Stan W breaks his racket on the regular, and Uncle Toni openly coaches Rafa for decades and has never gotten a citation. In fact, Rafa verbally challenged this same ump to give him violations in the French 2 years ago. And got NONE. So, no. Serena was in a situation I recognized and I loved her for fighting for herself. MOREOVER, during the changeover the UMP initiated an argument with Serena, the UMPIRE interrupted Serena’s routine during a grand slam to argue with her on national tv about rules. THE UMPIRE WAS OUTRAGEOUS. Agassi called an umpire a “son of a bitch” in a us open final: no violation. And, let’s not challenge ourselves by remembering McEnroe and Connors.

      What I did love, however, was Serena’s open contemp for Chris Evert on the podium. WHICH CHRIS HAS EARNED OVER THE YEARS. And alternately, how Serena rose above all of this double-standard BS, to control the crowd and lift up Osaka. And, her post match interview was epic and she received a STANDING OVATION from the press.

      Embarrassed herself? No. P.S. The only other player this umpire has given a coaching citation to: Venus Williams.

      • Nic919 says:

        Exactly this. I have watched tennis since the mid 80s and I have never seen a male tennis player get a warning for mild language like this. This ump was up in his feelings and interefered with the outcome of the game because she was questioning him. And even this year there is the coaching violation that Andy Murray tried to call out because actual words were being discussed but he was ignored and an umpire giving a pep talk to Nick Kyrgios. Osaka was likely to win the match, but the ump made certain of it with his bs.

      • lolamd says:

        What is the history of Chris Evert and Serena?

      • xpresson says:

        Ermm Not entirely true.. Nadal has had a coach violation in the past I remember, it clearly. Novak has had several for breaking Raquets. That rule ( coaching )is archaic ! it should be erased… it is ridiculous!

      • Pineapple says:

        Oh, Catherine … I LOVE you.

        Does anyone ever remember John McEnroe? He was the most horrid human on the court. Horrid behaviour. The guy still had a career didn’t he. I would LOVE to see players, coaches and umpires follow the rules. I would love to see class from all. But we routinely see horrid outbursts from some which are allowed. Unacceptable. Can Serena not get angry? Why can a women not get angry?

        And as for the umpire??? Coaches are coaching when they shouldn’t be??? Take it up with the LEAGUE. That’s what they are THERE FOR. You do NOT penalize a player during a slam for something “everyone” does.

    • Gigi says:

      You’re 100% wrong. The call was GARBAGE! To call a “coaching warning “ at a Grand Slam final is egregious. Ramos should be banned from the chair.

  2. Jessica says:

    I think the crowd was booing the situation not Osaka but the whole thing was unfortunate.

    • FLORC says:

      They booed the situation, but that impacted Osaka negatively. This didnt matter. End of the day the booing was because Serena was cheated out of a victory and the booing would continue over the person who won.

      • Tina says:

        Serena was never going to win that match. She wasn’t cheated out of a victory. I think the booing does matter enormously to Osaka, who would not have looked nearly as miserable if she had lost.

      • Rainbow says:

        Osaka beat her in both sets. Serena was not robbed of a victory. To say so is to imply Osaka didn’t play well enough to earn the win and isn’t a worthy champion.

      • Huh says:

        She was never cheated out of a victory. She was losing easily before any of this started.

      • Nic919 says:

        She was up 3-1 in the second set when the coaching call happened and then after that she loses two points in a row. And because she was upset about the accusation of cheating that shot her concentration. The ump killed her momentum with that. I was watching the match live and you could feel the change. Besides Serena had come back from worse in earlier matches and certainly could have turned it around. That’s what makes Serena a great player. There is no guarantee that she was definitely losing that match until the coaching call.

  3. TheOriginalMia says:

    An umpire nor call should ever decide a match. The fact he was hostile to her throughout is problematic. He wasn’t fair and impartial and it showed. In a world where Krygios gets away with murder and Millman pulled all kinds of delay tactics in his loss, Serena didn’t deserve what happened to her. Just highlights how the misogyny and racism has been flowing against Serena and the ladies this year.

    I felt awful for Naomi. She played great and deserved to win. She didn’t deserve to have her first GS marred by Ramos’ ego show.

    • Ellecommelejour says:

      Story of what EVERY single Black Women has been through more than once in her life.

      • India Rose says:

        PREACH, ELLE

      • diana says:

        It was really hard to see Serena cry like that when she called the supervisor. Because if you follow tennis then you know she wasn’t crying about that point penalty or the warnings.
        It’s years of defending yourself against cheating and doping accusations. Years of getting booed from your home crowd. Years of questioning your femininity and mocking your body. Years of never being given the benefit of the doubt. Years of living on the defence just for being the best in a sport that’s not designed for you.

        I love Naomi and I was rooting for her. But reading the headlines and twitter is nauseating. Like people were DYING for an excuse to call Serena classless and other dog whistles.

        Oh and here’s a link to a twitter thread about the inconsistency of “enforcing the law”: https://twitter.com/thaiguy84/status/1038643618251268096?s=19

      • Carol says:

        Too true!! I was not surprised to learn the ump was a man.

      • AnotherDirtyMartini says:

        Diana, I agree with you. And thanks for that twitter feed.

    • Lolafalana says:

      No. It got wrecked by Serena’s ego show. He was not hostile, and he was not being unfair. He didn’t coach her from the sidelines. He didn’t smash her racquet, and he didn’t call himself a thief. He made calls within the rules of the game. She knows the rules of the game. Crying foul and unfairness was whiny bullshit. She did deserve what happened to her. She is not entitled to the win. But she was acting as though she was – and that if she didn’t get it, it was because of unfairness…….she should feel terrible about her behavior and how it has affected Naomi Osaka.

      The issue of others getting away with stuff outside the rules needs to be addressed, but is a totally separate issue.

      • Nicknamedue says:

        PREACH!!

      • Deering says:

        That’s garbage, Lola. God, whenever a black person calls out unfair crap, they are always accused of “ego show” or arrogance. Heaven forfend they stand up for what’s right—or demand to be treated as human. Ramos busted her coach for doing the _exact_ same thing other coaches (of white players) do, then he compounded things by unfairly yanking that point. What should Serena have done—smiled and taken it?

      • Clare says:

        @Deering I can’t say what she should have done – but smashing her racket and calling him names was not it. It’s beneath her, and it was extremely unfair to Osaka, who outplayed Serena.

        I just feel bad for Osaka who has basically had her dream win ruined by her hero’s actions.

      • Doc says:

        Yes, Lolafalana! +1 million

      • sushi says:

        I do not know the argument, the rule is the rule. Two wrongs dont make a right. Did the same umpire ignore rules violations in other matched. If so then you can accuse him, but for this match, he was simply doing his job.

      • Nic919 says:

        When men can do far worse and never get called for it, in the same tournament that’s why she was mad. Pretending the rules are equally applied is naive and demonstrably false. And funny the only other person who got a game penalty from this umpire is Venus Williams. That’s not a coincidence. For this to happen especially in a championship match was unheard of. And this ump has also let Djokovic and other male players do far worse and he never even gave them a warning. His sexism is documented.

      • Kate says:

        No. Come on. Think about all the laws that exist that are ridiculous or seldom enforced and how frustrated you would feel to have them applied to you on one of the most high pressure and important days of your career.

        Imagine you’re about to do something extremely important that requires all of your focus and concentration. Then a police officer stops you and gives you a ticket for jaywalking on a street where Everyone jaywalks. Then he sees a sharpie in your bag and indignantly tickets you for having a sharpie in public (b/c apparently that’s a law) and acts as if you have just committed a felonious offense. You get frustrated b/c you’re not a criminal and you just need to get to work and can’t deal with this right now and you yell “what is your problem? this is outrageous! I’m not a criminal you’re making me late to work!” and the police officer reacts by handcuffing you and making you sit in the police car as a punishment for verbally assaulting him (not a law but police still do it anyway). Are you really going to say you should and would just quietly take it and rules are rules – he is just doing his job? Maybe you should just write a letter of complaint to the police later or something but now (when you are missing your most important work obligation) is not the time?

        Just because a rule or law exists isn’t the end of the discussion. Rules and laws can be applied unfairly by a person in charge to punish someone. Plenty of journalists have done the research and shown how many male players have done far worse than Serena without any repercussion, and with the same umpire. Sure anyone could walk by you sitting in the police car and cluck that wow you should really calm down and keep your cool and take your jaywalking ticket with class it’s the law after all, but that’s not the whole story or the full picture.

  4. Christine says:

    Serena really was gracious during the trophy presentation. Yes she lost it, but she got her shit together and showed why she’s GOAT. Also- I wonder what is going to happen with Patrick and Serena because he admitted he was coaching and during the press conference she was like I DON’T CHEAT. So that’s a little inconsistent.

    • Molee says:

      I hope she fires him! After he said he was coaching her, and that he coaches her in every match, how could she stay with him? He opened the door for her enemies to say she isn’t a champion but a cheater who finally got caught. Serena fought the umpire over her reputation and good name, and then her own coach shoots her in the back by basically saying: yeah I was trying to to cheat coach and I try to cheat coach every game. What was he doing/thinking? She cannot stay with him, can she?

    • Clare says:

      Yep. He (her team and therefore her infraction) was cheating. Whether she benefited from it or not, isn’t even the point.

      I don’t care if everyone and their mother does it (punish them all please), but you can’t cry victim when your team is openly cheating AND you smash your racket before shouting at the ref. I 100% think the Tennis Associations are routinely unfair to Serena, but she was the one bang out of order today.

      • Alissa says:

        yep, that’s exactly how I feel. she should have voiced her frustrations afterwards and fight then, not in the middle of the match. she knows the damn rules! to try to make this a race or sexism thing is to ignore the fact that she actually behaved badly today, aside from how she was to Osaka.

  5. Dids says:

    I understand how she thought that was unfair, but everytime a player yells at the umpire I always think : pick up your racket and go win. No umpire will ever go back on his or her words because it would make a precedent nobody wants. IMO yelling is pointless. She could have come back and win. She has done it many times. I’m afraid she was feeling hopeless and just threw a tantrum to take the attention away from that. I’ve been told i am not enough of a rebel and that i accept too easily those kind of situation.. (when someone in authority makes a call i can’t change.) I’ve learned to focus on the things I can change… But on the other hand, calling out sexism like she did was surely IS a way to change things. I hope. Anyway i dont know what to think anymore. But i feel for Naomi. I hope she wins MANY MORE grand slam titles so she can forget this weird win.

    Alsooooo… I feel bad for even saying this, but i just wanted check if, maybe, i wasnt alone. I dont have kids and i dont want kids. Does that make me a bad person who would or could cheat? I dont know… That comment she made invoking her daughter kind of rubbed me the wrong way.

    • Ashley says:

      I agree like what did her being a parent have to do with this. Like by saying she is a parent is insinuating that no parent could ever do such a thing *eye roll*. Like yes there were bad calls in the match but no he was never going to reverse the call. I trained/worked as a ref and the one thing they always drilled into you was that you die with the call no matter how bad it is because once you cross that line and reverse it than there is no going back.

    • Lolafalana says:

      Totally Dids. I have a child and love her to death, but it is only in having a child that I really realized what an awesome option remaining childless could be. Being a parent doesn’t unlock some better self that wasn’t there before…………..

      I love Serena’s Baby – she is perhaps the most beautiful child ever born, and I love the story of how she and her husband met. I am amazed by her physique and am in awe of her talent – and yet I just can’t help but always root for her opponent. Because her personality is brutal. All the twirling – all the screaming, all the drama – it’s brutal. And she alone wrecked Naomi Osaka’s first major win. Her coach got caught breaking the rules. She smashed her own racquet and verbally sparred with the ref…………….what the Christ else was supposed to happen? Invoking her child, her motherhood, and sexism is whiny bullshit.

      She should feel like a complete asshole for the way she behaved today. She and the audience were all one big amorphous dick today. She felt entitled to the win is all I got from her. If I was Naomi Osaka’s parents I’d be livid.

      • Dids says:

        I have so much respect for Serena, but i feel the same way you do about her. It’s nice to know i’m not alone. (She is so awesome!) But I guess I identify more with the quiet ones, who show their strength differently. In a less intimidating way, i guess. But i still believe we need women who stir up sh*t and yell like there is no tomorrow, but i also think there are other ways to fight.

        Thank you for agreeing with me about the motherhood thing. 🙂

    • Nicknamedue says:

      I had to learn that lesson the hard way. I argued with a ref for what I saw as a bad call and ended up with a red card. My team had to play man down the rest of the game and because it was a tournament, I was forcibly benched the rest of the weekend. To add insult to injury, there were college scouts there. As athletes (especially that of Williams level) we are competitive and forceful when it comes to winning by nature. We wouldn’t compete if we were wired that way. Losing is not something we handle well. Even if we show a graceful face. Serena did not handle losing well, and yes she was losing before the ump did anything. But the one thing we can’t lose is our cool. ESPECIALLY against those with the power to screw us. My dad always told me to not piss off the alligator UNTIL you cross the river. Serena was in the wrong here and to envoys her daughter was just low.

      • Ange says:

        Exactly. I’ve played sport for 30+ years and work in the field as well. All you can really do is draw their attention to the call then back the hell off. Arguing gets you nowhere and if anything it draws the ref’s back up against you which I think what has happened here.

        Was he professional? I don’t think so at all but in the end the result still went the way he wanted it to so all the drama was for nothing. Deal with bad refs after the match is done.

    • Clare says:

      I was a little confused by why she brought her daughter into it? Was she suggesting people without children cheat more? And frankly, was her behaviour today (smashing her racket? calling the ref names?) the behaviour she wants her daughter to emulate? This is so far beneath her, and I hope it was just a one off. This shit can’t be her legacy.

      • ChillyWilly says:

        Maybe she wants to teach her daughter to speak out against injustice? I don’t think most people have a clue as to the bigotry Serena and Venus have endured in their careers. the
        I worked at a racquet club in the early years of Serena and Venus careers and the rich, ALL white members of that club talked about them like they were animals from the ghetto trying to ruin “their” sport.

      • Addie says:

        Serena references her daughter as often as she can because she is besotted with her. That’s fine, though it becomes tiresome for others having to listen to listen to new parents. It has nothing to do with the tennis game at hand.

        Serena is a brilliant athlete, no two ways about that, and hopefully she has a few years left to prove even greater prowess. Today was not her day. I can imagine it’s been a battle to get back to the form she had pre-baby, let alone having to jump over low ranking given her for time away from the game, legitimate as that is. I can’t help feel that Serena is conflicted in splitting energy/focus/whatever between the game and her child.

    • Heather says:

      Donald Trump is a parent. Ivanka Trump is a mother. Hell, even Harvey Weinstein is a parent. Having children doesnt automatically make you some idol of all that is good and pure. That was a low call by Serena.

    • nikki says:

      Yup. Having kids is zero indication of any kind of moral character.

    • Desolee says:

      Haha i understand how she feels I remember being a new mom of one and the pure feeling wanting to be a better person for my firstborn. But it sounds funny how she said it ummmmmmm we’ve all known liars /cheaters who are also parents, and is she implying she used to be open to sneakiness before being a mom? The official is probably a parent too!

  6. Ashley says:

    I think men have done and said much worse than Serena but she also should have LET IT GO! She was playing badly and just kept dwelling on it more than she should’ve because of how badly she was playing. That ref is a snowflake for making the calls that he did. Also patrick is SAVAGE throwing uncle toni and rafa under the bus!!!!!!

    • Alissa says:

      sounds to me like the ref made the appropriate calls? verbal abuse doesn’t have to mean swearing in sports. she broke her racquet. her coach admitted to coaching from the box and used the lame excuse “everybody else does it!” which is not encouraging ESPECIALLY since Serena knows they’re harder on her!

  7. Cee says:

    I’m sorry she lost her cool in the sense that the first violation messed up her mind set. This wouldn’t have happened to her before. But that umpire is an ass – that was NOT verbal abuse! Goes to show how precious men’s experiences are that he thought a black woman standing up for herself was abuse against him. Idiot.

    • Lolafalana says:

      Um………I don’t agree at all. She called him a thief. I think that totally qualifies as verbal abuse. She demanded an apology from him when she was the one misbehaving as a player. Just how entitled should does she feel? Just because she didn’t swear doesn’t mean she wasn’t being abusive. She was behaving badly. She owes Naomi Osaka an apology.

    • Huh says:

      In what sport could you call the ump a thief and get away with it? FFS. She deserved the violations in that game.

  8. Pancake Bacon says:

    This is tennis – what Serena did does constitute verbal abuse.

    Yes, Rafa has gotten away with many infractions (time delays galore!) and yes, he should’ve gotten calls/warnings/penalties on it. It’s been really unfair to Rafa’s opponents.

    Using this as what seems to be Serena’s excuse for not being given a penalty though, is absurd. And it was just a WARNING. She didn’t have to break her racquet, right? That’s on Serena.

  9. Carebear says:

    I was actually at the match today, I hope to leave a longer comment tomorrow but I just wanted to make it clear that the crowd, before anything happened was clearly for Serena but was very vocal in their support for Osaka and throughout cheered for her amazing plays. The booing was strictly for the umpire and USTA, and any moment that it switched to Osaka the crowd actively worked to try and let her know they were cheering FOR HER AND HER VICTORY. Even after the start of the shenanigans the crowd was still quite loud in cheering for Osaka too, I was surrounded by die hard Serena fans that were on their feet several times to give Osaka credit for her play.

    • Clark says:

      I was also at the game and I agree 100%. No one was booing Osaka. She was probably going to win either way, she played really well. But the whole situation with the umpire felt out of place. After the first warning, it felt like he was just going after Serena to ” put her in her place” or something.

    • ChillyWilly says:

      That is what I saw on tv! They were booing the ump. Serena was so kind and thoughtful to comfort Osaka.

  10. adastraperaspera says:

    Kaiser, I admit to going to your Twitter right away when this happened, because I thought you could explain what the heck happened. I don’t watch that much tennis, and it seemed to all happen so fast. The penalty seemed pretty severe for just complaining and some snipes at the ref? In the end, I know Serena will feel so bad For Naomi to have the booing and controversy during the ceremony. Just all so unfortunate.

  11. AnotherDirtyMartini says:

    I didn’t see it. I heard Serena speaking from the next room, and I thought she sounded gracious. I texted my husband & asked “did she win?” He said “no, and she completely lost it.” Hmm..

    So, we spoke in person, lol, a few minutes later, and he told me again that Serena lost it. Keeping in mind that my hubs likes McEnroe and found it funny when he’d throw tantrums, I asked, “So Serena lost it worse than McEnroe used to?” He hesitated and then said, no, Serena did not match McEnroe level.

    I just want everyone to be fair. I don’t claim to know much about tennis, but I do know men typically get away with SO much more in every area of life than women. Privileged men, that is. There are different standards expected of women. Higher standards and less reward.

    Congrats to Osaka. I felt for her. I’m glad Serena was hugging her and saying encouraging words. Wow, what a career Osaka will have!

    • Huh says:

      Ok so McEnroe played like 30 years ago. He was a d**k then and is still one. That said we expect more of our sportspeople now, hell we expect a better behaviour from all of us now. To compare her behaviour and penalties to what McEnroe got is silly as it’s a different time now. Compare it to Kyrgios or any of those twits that are carrying it on at the moment, not someone who played decades and decades ago.

      • AnotherDirtyMartini says:

        HUH, you missed the point. Expecting better things now INCLUDES expecting no misogyny/no racism. It’s silly not to realize that.

  12. Derriere says:

    Serena got overreacted, but honestly, when a ref doesn’t come at you correct from jump…I don’t know see why she should have to put up with BS. And I’m glad she didn’t. I hope he never works a professional event again in his life. Go back to calling lines for the juniors since you can’t handle this level of competition.

    We see coaching ALL THE TIME. It is never called. Now in the finals of the Women’s US Open, he wants to call someone out? GTFO

  13. Apalapa says:

    I think that ump was racist and sexist. For everyone who said she is supposed to be better, seriously??? Do you know what it is like to put up with all those little injustices – she had to hear about her physique, about how she doesn’t look feminine. Then there is the fact that she has been drug tested more than any other female player, including actual dopers. Then they gave her her sh*t for wearing an outfit of medical benefit to her. Some times you just lose it after the 1000th papercut. This wasn’t a John McEnroe type situation here. The ump didn’t give her the benefit of the doubt the way he did the other grand slam finals where he is present and reffing. He held her to a different standard because she is black and a woman.

    • wha1ever says:

      Sexist and racist? Did I miss the part where Serena’s opponent on the other side of the net in this final was a white male?

      If Serena doesn’t win the point/game/match the only person who gets the advantage is her fellow female and Women of Colour Naomi Osaka, not a guy!

      • Rise above says:

        You missed the entire point. Just because her opponent is not a white male doesn’t mean Serena wasn’t subjected to racism, sexism, misogyny and outright unfair treatment in this match and over her entire career. Things are not as simple and straightforward as they appear to you. Develop some empathy.

      • wha1ever says:

        Unfair treatment in the match?? Let me break it down for you…

        Her coach got caught gesturing to her during the match. He told her to move forward and she did which resulted in her winning the point. She got a code violation and rightfully so. She isn’t the only player male or female in the history of tennis to received a coaching violation lots of other players have got it too.

        Secondly she received a violation for breaking her racket. Again, she isn’t the only player male or female or black to receive a violation for breaking her racket lots of other players have received it too. The tennis authorities have become a lot stricter in recent years with players breaking rackets. Its got nothing to do with Serena but it makes players look bratty and childish, destroys the hard work racket manufactures and stringers do and damages the court surface.

        Thirdly, she called the umpire a liar and a thief. In my opinion that IS verbal abuse. If someone called me those names I wouldn’t stand for it so why should he? There are players that have received code violations for saying a lot less to an umpire.

    • Molee says:

      I feel you with the benefit of the doubt NEVER going to Serena! My family and I were discussing that having others assume the best and being forgiven or having others let things slide is such a huge part of privilege. Yeah, no one should do it, but when everyone except you does it, receives the advantage, and suffers no consequences, and then you do it and receive harsh punishment, it becomes lawful evil. It’s injustice approved by the authorities. I understand why Serena had enough and lost it. I also understand that many in Tennis will continue to assume the worst of Serena while assuming the best of Sharapova, Agassai, McEnroe, Nadal and this year’s Wimbledon players accused of receiving coaching, Muguruzas and Garcia. Enforce rules for all, or not at all.

  14. Rise above says:

    No one won. They should sack up and admit this was a biased ref and do a rematch. The entire establishment owes Serena an apology for policing her body and clothing to writing about her intimidating muscles and basically doing everything to keep this athlete down. Just to show her “her place”… Can’t have a black woman inspire other minority women to rise up. These people hold on to their privilege like it’s a birthright and subjugate everyone else who is different from them. It’s time to shut their s**t down.

    • Rainbow says:

      No one won? Naomi Osaka beat Serena in both sets. She won cleanly, played incredible tennis, and Serena wasn’t robbed nor was Osaka handed the championship by the umpire. It’s a shame that what should’ve been a glorious moment in a young athlete’s life has been sabotaged by the controversy and the disgusting behaviour of fans on court and on social media.

      It’s a sad, sad day when Osaka had to apologize for winning her first Slam. I don’t care that the crowd wasn’t booing her. It still made her feel horrible and cheapened her victory. Shame on everyone involved who created this mess. The only one who deserves an apology is Osaka. Even the USTA didn’t give her enough support when Serena and the umpire were arguing. Nobody approached her to ask if she was okay. She had to sit around and wait for Serena to get back in the game. And then for her and her family to experience such an ugly reaction to her win?

    • Sza says:

      Naomi won. She played extremely well & was fabulous on court. Please don’t undermine her achievement.

    • Bella Bella says:

      HERE HERE, Rise. I totally agree.

    • Catarina says:

      What are you talking about, Rainbow? Naomi won!!! Your making this into a lesson about supposedly complete, impermeable racism and injustice against all black women in general is absolutely absurd. Not so long ago, women weren’t allowed to play professional sports, at all, let alone women of color. Sorry to break it to you, but, though we still have a LONG way to go for equality for both genders and all races, we are making a HELL of a lot of progress. To claim anything else–like we should “start it all over”– is to entirely negate and dishonor how far Serena and many, many other pioneering female athletes like her have come.

  15. bap says:

    Congratulations to Osaka for defeating Serena! Osaka handle herself with class on the court.

  16. CK says:

    I expect to see the violations heavily enforced on the other players as well. Rules are rules, but the priority of enforcement matters and can be heavily biased aka why our current criminal justice is so f*cked up. If you want to call Serena out on them, I expect you to do the same for each and every player that commits a similar offense in the future.

    • Molee says:

      YES! 100%
      Enforce the rules for all or not at all.

    • Miss M says:

      I didn’t watch the game. But I came here to say the same thing.
      I went to Roland Garros this year and I sat next to a coach in two of the 5 games I watched. They try not to coach, but they do coach even if discreetly. Young players were even more ridiculous because when they got frustrated they “spoke” (screamed actually) on their idiom looking towards the coach. So everyone knew who the coach was and the coach would turn the faces the other way to not look obvious.
      Either reserve a sitting area for coaches to be monitored or let them coach.

      That being said, I understand Serena’s frustrations. But I would hope someone at her level would focus on the game. Just the simple fact that she has been in two finals since her return, after all her health issues, is a testament to her greatness.
      Congrats to Osaka! Hope to see her make to finals more.

      Ps: On a vapid note, I find Serena’s coach attractive.

    • ChillyWilly says:

      Yeah but don’t hold your breath! The men will always get more slack and the petite, light skinned women will always get preferential treatment.

  17. Rainbow says:

    The crowd was atrocious. To continue booing was just despicable. Yeah yeah yeah, they weren’t booing Osaka (according to some comments above) but that doesn’t matter, does it? Just because you didn’t mean to hurt someone’s feelings doesn’t mean you didn’t hurt her. The jeers and booing still made Osaka feel bad and she was miserable on what should’ve been one of the happiest days of her life. So congrats, US Open crowd. Trying to justify the booing is hilarious. The moment Osaka won, they should’ve stopped and just applauded her. How humiliating for Osaka and her family to stand under all the jeers and endure such disrespect.

    As for Serena, this isn’t new. She’s been disqualified before for threatening to shove a ball down a line judge’s throat…because the line judge called her out on a foot fault.

    She was right to question and stand her ground. But to break her racket knowing she’s already on a warning? To continuously berate the umpire after she’s already got a point deducted? To say she would never cheat because she has a daughter (why even invoke motherhood here)? That was all on her.

    She’s human, true. She has feelings, yes. But so does her opponent. Osaka, who had to sit and wait while Serena was having it out with the umpire. Tennis is a mental game. Osaka waiting around while Serena and the umpire argued could’ve lost her focus and it could’ve derailed her game. Osaka, who was sad because she won her very first Grand Slam instead of the crowd favourite, and she couldn’t even enjoy it. Osaka, who couldn’t even give a happy speech lest the crowd get even more vicious. She’s the only person I truly feel sorry for in all of this. Her victory now is either overshadowed or is marred by fans thinking Serena was robbed of the Slam, as if Osaka didn’t play well and beat Serena cleanly.

    • JF says:

      Totally agree Rainbow!

    • Julia says:

      It’s a bit like Tay Tay’s VMA moment being spoiled by Kanye isn’t it? In the sense that the moment was ruined for her and she can’t ever quite get that back – and whenever it’s referred to in the future, it will be as part of “that controversy”.

      I know Serena has had a hard time coming back from maternity leave. I think it’s unfair that she lost her seeding. She cops a lot of criticism about her appearance that isn’t fair and she doesn’t always get acknowledged for her greatness. BUT this is twice now when her behaviour on court has been frankly appalling and embarrassing. Even if the umpire was being unfair, I doubt she’d have reacted in that way if she hadn’t been losing and I can’t imagine a Federer or Djokovic or a Venus reacting that way.

    • Melissa says:

      That is so true. As if Serena’s attitude wasn’t bad enough, the crowd was simply horrid. Why boo Osaka (if indirectly)? And to not be able to see Serena was the one in the wrong this time? I can’t with their willful blindness.

    • jj says:

      I couldn’t have said it better myself. Osaka is 20 years old and showed such poise under such ugly circumstances. I watched her semi-final match and told my husband she would beat Serena because Serena was not in her tip top shape yet. I was just cringing watching the end of the match, feeling so bad for Osaka with all the booing. It is so sad to have this shadow your first grand slam win.

  18. Tina says:

    Very well said, Rainbow.

  19. MoodyBlue says:

    I didn’t see the game , feel for both of them in different ways, but immediately I was reminded of John McEnroe and his infamous temper. Definitely not tolerated as much froma woman as a man. And maybe poor behavior shouldn’t be tolerated ( cough… Donald Trump) , but in sports, the temper flares are a little more understandable given the physical effort and hormones and neurochemicals flowing free.

    • Ceedee says:

      Isn’t it possible that the rules and standards of behavior are stricter now than during the time McEnroe played? After all, these rules are evolving. If we have to compare application of standards and rules, we have to compare with those imposed on those currently playing.

      Now I’m not saying that the double standard does not happen now; it’s just that I’m not able watch as much tennis as I’d like and have not watched any match where there has been temper tantrums on the part of aplayer sufficient to get him a code violation (is that correct? See, I don’t even know what they are called LOL).

  20. NΞΞNΔ ZΞΞ says:

    Man, it was hard to watch. I sat on the couch just cringing and yelling through the epic meltdown. And while I really wish Serena had kept it together, I have to admit that I identified with her frustration and anger. She gets calls that no other players get, all while having to play the hardest matches. Even though she’s the GOAT and has been for years, I think there’s still a part of her that remembers every single day what it’s like to be an outsider and an underdog.

    Naomi played a great match, hopefully this will be a good learning experience for her and she’ll go on to be a tougher competitor.

  21. Coco Puffs says:

    This sucks because this is making the tournament about Serena instead of Osaka who won. Serena was unprofessional and her fans are blind to the fact that she was wrong.
    (how does being a mother and gender equality justify racket slamming and calling Ramos a liar and a thief?)

    I think before accusing Ramos for being sexist, its important to consider whether he has ever excused men for behavior similar to Serena’s. If anything I think Serena owes him and Osaka an apology

  22. Sza says:

    If Serena believes motherhood improves her focus and makes her want to better herself even more, then that’s her prerogative.
    I only watch women’s tennis because of her & her behaviour today was very bad. She clearly needs more psychological support to deal with nerves in the finals. Poor Naomi was reduced to tears. I felt awful when she was standing on stage & pulled her cap down to hide her face while she was crying.
    Also Serena needs to rest & be in a better place mentally before her next tournament.

  23. nikki says:

    If you act like that towards a ref in a lot of sports, it will net you a similar violation or even get you tossed from the game. It’s not acceptable, “venting” isn’t part of sports, save for like, hockey fights. You’re supposed to check yourself and play.

  24. lala says:

    Maybe Serena is pregnant again… maybe she really wanted to win because she will shortly need to take time off circuit again and then possibly maybe never regain form, so she thought this was a last hurrah. It would explain the emotion, the irrationality and the outburst…..doesn’t excuse it at all, but would explain it..

    • Jasmine18 says:

      I wondered this too, lala. I think she knows her chance of winning another slam is slipping away.

  25. NJ says:

    She/ her coach cheated, saying “everybody does it” is a childs excuse. Did Osaka get coached during the game? NO.

    This all is pointless thou, Serena was never gonna win that match, anybody could have seen that. Osaka did great job, i except a greta career for her! 🙂

  26. Bc says:

    First off, props to Osaka, she seems to have a really sweet personality and despite the day’s drama, she held her own physically against Serena so I’d say she’s going to go places. Hee first win was baptism by fire so you know no other drama can ever shake her. Can’t wait for her many more wins.

    Secondly, I’m Team Serena. Did she lose it? Yes. Which player hasn’t? In any sport, in fact. Was it cool? No. Actually it did come across as a bit whiny – but only if you were meeting Serena for the first time. If you’ve followed Serena’s career, you know the trials she’s been through. Being judged for her body physique – something she has no control over, having to be tested more than any other player and having those medics waiting for you at your own home, being suspected of cheating despite your white opponent being the one caught cheating, the racism alone – in the magazine’s and from professional critics, her drop in the seeding after going on maternity leave, coming back and having your outfits policed despite your medical issues, post pregnancy health scares, plus the pressure of having to maintain grand slam after grand slam win – obviously from promoters, her fans and even her own self – despite health issues and her age, then you get umpires and their small, weak egos, umpires who never gave game penalties to male players for similar offences, doing it to Serena – MY GOD, how much can one person handle, surely?! I’m surprised she didn’t breakdown sooner. One things for sure, Serena is stronger than me and her love for the sport is genuine. This couldn’t be me. I would have thrown in the towel long ago. I see what they’re doing and it breaks my heart to see all this hate directed at one person. They’re trying to break her spirit, make her quit the game. It’s an how-dare-you-succeed-in-a-space-thats-not-your-own psychological manipulation that’s going on. I just wanna hug her. I’m sorry for Osaka but this battle had to be fought, not tomorrow but today. Speak now Serena, always speak now. And any gains made by speaking your truth will benefit all future Osaka’s coming after you.

  27. Rando says:

    The intersectionality of what happened is lost on so many people. Kaiser wrote a good read but some of these comments are brutal. I’m so tired of WOC being villainized for standing up for themselves.

    • Alissa says:

      sigh. she threw a temper tantrum and made things worse because she did things she knows she’s not allowed to (call the ref names, break her racquet).

    • Sarah says:

      LOL. I guess McEnroe was just standing up for himself whenever he went feral on court. Ridiculous.

    • Tania says:

      Yeah, I stopped reading the comments here. It seems that some were just waiting for Serena to be human to demonize her. That’s a part of the problem. Nobody is stopping to pause to say, “Why did she lose it on this instance?” BECAUSE IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME AND EVEN SHE HAS A BREAKING POINT.

      It’s not that difficult for minorities to understand why she lost it. It’s not difficult for us to say, “Yup, I get it.” Because I lost it yesterday too. It’s peoples tones, it’s how they treat you differently after they served a white woman/man/child. It’s how you’re greeted compared to the person in front of you. It’s how you’re excluded from an event – like the work get together cookout that every other person was invited to – and then you lose it over something small and then you change.

      Everyone commenting here saying, “Well she shouldn’t have.” just doesn’t understand and doesn’t want to. Her entire career has been spent in judgement and having to be the best.

      She lost it because she’s the first. She’s the GOAT and if she doesn’t use her platform to change, it will make it difficult for everyone coming after her. She became the GOAT by working hard, by being better than the best, by shutting up. Now she’s cashing those chips to change the system that was designed for her to fail. I congratulate her and honor her.

      • Anna says:

        This! Thank you. This is why Black Women die from heart attacks and other stress diseases earlier and in much greater numbers than other demographics. We have to carry so much fucking bullshit and unless you know and have experienced it, you have no. fucking. idea. what we have to put up with. The fact that we continue to survive and thrive is amazing considering the fact that everything in this racist, sexist society is set up to try to break us at every moment. It’s certainly PTSD.

    • Clearedmemory says:

      I’m with you. People who were actually there seem to be supporting Serena’s side. I find all of this judgement laced with all sorts of racial undertones. Why are we policing this woman’s response? Why can’t we just believe her?

  28. babco says:

    Serena lost her cool?
    Yup.
    Is this ‘coaching’ common practice, not her responsibility and she was suddenly singled out for it in a final?
    Yup.
    So, was she punished and judged faster and harsher than the white men who pull the same sh*t ?
    Yup.

    Same for the lady who changed shirt earlier this week and was punished for it by the same official body …

    I just had a look at their website, it is enlightening.

    WTA – Women’s Tennis Association
    Board of Directors: 5 men / 2 women
    CEO: man
    COO: man
    President: woman
    Women are in majority at the management level but under the enlightened supervision and guidance of 3 layers of men.

    And, except the person who is in charge of Asia-Pacific, everybody at the WTA is white.

  29. Rescue Cat says:

    She should play mixed doubles with Nick Krygios. I’d watch.

  30. Sarah says:

    Well, she didn’t threaten to physically assault a linesperson this time, so I guess her behavior is improving. LOL.

    And the “everybody coaches” defense is silly. Everybody speeds on occasion, yet speeding tickets are still given out. Rules are rules – if you choose not to follow them, don’t throw a tantrum when you’re forced to face the consequences of your rule breaking. In Serena’s case, the consequences was a little warning. No point taken away, just a warning. That’s it – hardly worth going nuts over.

    • Anne says:

      100% agree.

    • babco says:

      Everybody speeds on occasion, yet speeding tickets are still given out.
      Fair point.

      But, when a law is suddenly enforced to the letter with animosity, defensiveness and no attempt at containment and de-escalation, oddly, it happens more often when ‘inferior’ people are involved …

      She lost her sh*t but the umpire let all his subconscious biases rip on top of it, turning it into an unfair and discriminatory display of power.

      I am sure that when cute little blondies pull a drama on court, this kind of umpire turns patronizing and chastises them like naughty school girls (demeaning enough) but does not give them penalties.

      But against girls like Serena, black, strong, powerful, assertive, the pervasive bias is they need to be ‘disciplined’. That s why they get the speeding ticket more than you.

      And I posted above the composition of the WTA association. Being mostly white, male and stale, I would be surprised if they are at the forefront of the fight for inclusiveness, gender equality and diversity.

  31. Really says:

    Serena acted poorly yesterday and praise her about hugging Osaka is completely double standards, after all it was Serena’s show that created a situation that put the crowd in a deplorable behavior against a player that didn’t do anything wrong.

  32. ShazBot says:

    On the surface this may seem unrelated,but I read this this week, and it really hit home, especially during yesterday’s match. The first few paragraphs: https://www.todaysparent.com/family/parenting/heres-my-challenge-to-white-parents-this-school-year/

    It really shows how white people can easily brush it off by saying “there are rules to follow”, without recognizing the systemic injustices on those rules being applied.

  33. Dessi says:

    Some people showing their true colors around here. Novak brazenly states that he exchanges secret messages with his box and no one does anything about it… but Serena complains about something she didn’t even see (AS IF at her age she need any coaching in the first) and now we suddenly care about the rules. When the true story is that a man didn’t like that a woman talked back and then had to make it all about his wounded ego. Serena may have dropped the ball, but he did nothing to deescalate and continued to taunt her. He rubbed both Serena of a loss and Osaka of her win.

  34. Marty says:

    I see people have come out the woodwork just to bash Serena, take y’all asses back to the Yahoo comment section.

    • Nic919 says:

      Yes please. People who actually watch tennis know damn well what happened at this final was unheard of. Even Chris Evert who was calling the match for ESPN was saying she had never seen this happen before. She supported Serena because she was pointing out how that last call in particular was not verbal abuse. So when actual tennis players who have been in this situation for years know this is bs, all these nonames can take a seat.

    • Clearedmemory says:

      🙌

  35. Henny says:

    I can accept she was wrong. It happens. What I hate is that it’s always a big deal when it’s women when we’ve all witnessed passionate male athletes behave the same way. These are top level competitors. Their emotion is a benefit to the sport, not a hinderance. Equality means accepting the very human nature of our athletes. I don’t want Serena to be perfect. That’s too big a burden for anyone. I want her passion to be recognized and taken seriously for the top tier athlete she is.

  36. Karen says:

    A British player got fined at Wimbledon. Watson claimed she was being punished for being British and that foreign players get away with swearing in ‘different languages constantly’.

    She was docked a point and yesterday received a fine for the code violation during her defeat in the women’s doubles quarter final after the linesman alleged she had said ‘f***ing stupid’.

    It look is like the tennis world needs to take a hard look at the rules and regulations. Sexism, racism and not being able to monitor players speaking different languages.

  37. eliza james says:

    Patriarchy/Sexism/Racism. Period.

    Osaka won handily and needed to experience this so she can, as a woman of color, see the legacy of the game she’s both inheriting and will (hopefully) continue to change for the better.

  38. Veronica S. says:

    Exactly, what the f*ck do some of you want from black women, though? Like, when are they allowed to be human and have their crash and burn moments? This woman has had to deal with Sharpova throwing racist dog whistles her way in her biography last year. She almost died giving birth because doctors gave her subpar care. She had to deal with the French Open suggesting her medically relevant outfit was inappropriate and disrespectful. She’s tested CONSTANTLY, more than any other female player. She has to deal with people making racist assumptions about her game. People are constantly accusing her of having an attitude, taking steroids, criticizing her body, etc, etc, etc al.

    At what goddamn point is she allowed to get angry about all of this? Feel like it isn’t justified? Maybe even suspect there’s a racial element there? Lose her temper, even if it’s not the most professional or justified thing to do? Jesus Christ. Americans live in a country where white boys throw temper tantrums and shoot up schools, but they want me to think Serena Williams is an absolute POS because in a high stakes, adrenaline boosted situation, she finally broke down. GTFO of here. Goddamn, some of you need to take a seat or five. She’s a human being, not an automaton.

    • Clearedmemory says:

      Yes!

    • Pineapple says:

      Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Did I add enough exclamation marks??

      It is ABOUT TIME this woman lost her cool. I could not have endured half of what she has gone through with her grace and dignity. The world will truly be changed when women are ALLOWED to get angry, allowed to be frustrated. When that is taken seriously. We are humans. Punishing women for behaviour you accept from men is SEXISM. Period. A thousand more exclamation points please grammar Gods!

    • Anna says:

      Thank you! This right here is exactly it.

  39. Sarah says:

    Poor Osaka! Takes away from her and she’s in tears at the awards? Sad, she worked hard to get there and must feel awful to cry!