Serena Williams should be ashamed and apologise to Naomi Osaka after ruining her US Open fairytale.
OPINION
20-year-old Naomi Osaka shocked the world when defeating Serena Williams in the US Open final, in doing so she was the first Japanese national to ever win a Grand Slam.
You’d expect this to be the headline after the game, right?
Instead, Osaka’s fairytale was ruined by Serena Williams’ unsportsmanlike conduct after a spat with the umpire and tournament referee.
Williams received her first violation for coaching after her coach was seen gesturing his hands to advise Serena to move to the net more.
The second violation was given when Williams smashed her racquet into the court in frustration.
It was then that Williams took her frustration out on the umpire demanding an apology, “You owe me an apology. I have never cheated in my life! I have a daughter and I stand for what’s right for her,” Williams told Ramos on the court. “I don’t cheat to win. I’d rather lose.”
Serena then called the umpire “a thief” which led to her third code violation and saw a game be taken away from her.
At that point, Williams called for the tournament referee and supervisor, and complained that her punishment was not fair.
“There are men out here that do a lot worse, but because I’m a woman, because I’m a woman you’re going to take this away from me?” she said. “That is not right.”
Osaka finished the match with a service winner, and covered her eyes with her visor. The two embraced at the net, and then Williams started back at Ramos again: “Can I get an apology?”
The ceremony didn’t come without its own controversy, with the crowd booing for the most part.
Naomi Osaka began to cry, but it didn’t appear to be the tears of joy typical of a champion.
If Serena wants to stand up for what is right for her daughter then she should start by teaching her daughter to respect the umpire and their decision, not make demands and expect the official to apologise.
Whether it was the right call or not she should accept the decision and move on.
To call an official a “thief” is worthy of punishment in any sport and to justify it by stating, “There are men out here that do a lot worse” is wrong and yes, if anyone has done worse they should also be punished but you cannot justify it by saying that.
Instead of demanding an apology from the umpire Williams should be apologising to Osaka after stealing her limelight and destroying her lifelong dream of becoming a Grand Slam winner.
Yes, with the quality that Osaka showed she will get another chance to win a second slam but there would be nothing like the feeling of winning your first and Serena took that away from her with her unsportsmanlike conduct and should apologise immediately.
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