23 time Grand Slam winner from United States of America Serena Williams caused a controversy on the courts yesterday by accusing the referee of being biased and a ‘thief’ in the final match of the US Open. Up against Serena was 20th seed, Naomi Osaka, who became the first person of Japanese origin to win a Grand Slam. The match held at Flushing Meadows in New York will sadly be remembered for all the wrong reasons, Osaka had managed to beat Serena at every aspect of the game. But sadly the takeaway from the game which the spectators both on and off court are going to leave with will be the spectacle of an angry Serena abusing the referee and smashing her own racquet on the ground. Truly, a very irresponsible act of arrogance and disrespect on the all important finale of the US Open women’s event by the tennis star.
You cannot continue to degrade a person and expect them not to finally pounce back. @serenawilliams has consistently displayed perseverance and grace but she is not to be made a fool of. “Let this be a remind to all… I don’t cheat to win, I’d rather lose.” #usopen pic.twitter.com/5Vwlebh7yx
— Ryan Jamaal Swain (@RyanJamaal) September 8, 2018
The first time Serena lost her cool was when the referee gave her a code violation after her coach Patrick Mouratoglou was signalling her from the stands, something which is not allowed in a one to one sport like tennis. Mouratoglou later on admitted that he had indeed been signalling to Serena some tactics while the game was on but went on to add that Serene might not have looked at him. The referee’s act therefore was justified and the code violation was well deserved irrespective of whether she had been looking at her coach or not.
The next big fall for Serena Williams happened when she lost her cool and smashed her racquet on the ground, destroying it completely. The American player did not need any provocation from outside as the loss of a serve was enough for her to break her racquet; this earned her another code violation from the referee. The crowd had started booing, trying to get behind their favourite star and to get back at the referee. Serena started shouting , “I have never cheated in my life. I have a daughter and I stand for what’s right for her. I have never cheated.” She then did the unthinkable, targeting the referee and calling him a thief and a ‘liar’, “You stole a point from me. You are a thief,” Serena said. “You are a liar. You will never be on a court of mine as long as you live. When are you going to give me my apology? Say you are sorry”, she went on to add in a frenzy. Referee Ramos had no option other than terming it as a violation, her third one in a final match and that too when she was the favourite of the fans. Verbally abusing a match official earned her the penalty of a game from the referee who was at a loss of words.
What is surprising is how the left dominated media houses have chosen to side with Serena and term the referee a bigot who discriminated against the player. The referee did nothing wrong here, he made sure the game was played according to the rules and penalised Serena for her rude and loud behaviour on the tennis court. She could have chosen to be an inspiration by winning her 24th Grand Slam graciously, and the first one after becoming a mother. But sadly she chose to hide her inefficiencies in the tennis court behind rage and chose to target the referee by playing woman and victim card all at once. Naomi Osaka who comes from mixed Haiti-Japanese origin was the real sufferer, another woman being harassed by a woman’s actions and this time on a court, despicable behaviour indeed.
