Things got heated during today’s US Open final after Serena Williams went at the chair umpire throughout the match.
During her match agains tNaomi Osaka Serena got angry with the chair umpire for penalizing her early in the match for a coaching violation.
This led to Serena confronting the umpire and letting him know that she wasn’t intentionally cheating when he gave her the coaching violation.
"I don't cheat to win. I'd rather lose."
—Serena to the chair umpire after receiving a coaching violation pic.twitter.com/v6Q2GWYYOn
— espnW (@espnW) September 8, 2018
Serena got docked a point a bit later for her second code of conduct violation when she smashed her racket in a fate of rage.
https://twitter.com/MikeGoldFool/status/1038538911868440577
Serena went on to once again blast the umpire and called him a “thief”
https://twitter.com/ComplexSports/status/1038541150318206977
The umpire had enough of Serena and gave her a third code of conduct violation which led to a game penalty.
Serena says "You're a thief, too!" to the umpire, who gives her a GAME PENALTY for verbal abuse!
Bizarre scenes t the #USOPEN
— SI Tennis (@SI_Tennis) September 8, 2018
A tearful Serena then pleaded to officials of how she was treated unfairly and how men wouldn’t have been docked for their language.
Serena Williams after getting penalized because she called judge a "thief" "There;s a a lot of men who have said things and because they are men nothing happens to them"….https://t.co/Vr9WTspqFw
— Gifdsports (@gifdsports) September 8, 2018
Serena went on to lose the match against Osaka but the Internet was on fire.
The crowd boos in protest of the US Open final's officiating. pic.twitter.com/hFAZdAIJYk
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 8, 2018
I know Osaka outplayed Serena but I’m such a Serena stan, yay for Osaka but again those calls definitely influenced that match, but yay for Osaka and Serena’s never ending class & grace.
— Jonathan Van Ness (@jvn) September 8, 2018
Ridiculous behaviour here from Serena Williams, angrily pointing her finger and demanding an apology from umpire Carlos Ramos, who is merely doing his job #USOpen
— Stuart Fraser (@stu_fraser) September 8, 2018
The mental focus to play tennis at the highest level is draining enough. Anyone who remotely followed Serena’s career knows those tears were a build up of damn near 20 years of disrespecting her legacy.
— Kyle Harvey (@HarveyWins) September 8, 2018
Bad umpire Carlos Ramos owes Serena an apology. And also all the fans who came to watch (me and my family included).
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) September 8, 2018
I feel the worst part of all this is that the headlines will, once again, make Serena out to be a villain because of her “tantrums” when it is simply her sticking up for herself.
And good on Serena for being there for Osaka and stopping the booing. #USOpen
— Matt Dowell (@MattDowellTV) September 8, 2018
This match is such a case study in the b.s. women have to deal with: Serena Williams calling out a man for treating women differently and Naomi Osaka feeling like she has to apologize for winning.
The whole thing stinks on hot ice.
— Jen Chaney (@chaneyj) September 8, 2018
https://twitter.com/rawan/status/1038543966285778945
The chair’s ego in this situation not only penalized Serena Williams but also deprived Naomi Osaka of the spotlight (and smile) she deserved. #USOpen pic.twitter.com/VEDzDucP0y
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) September 8, 2018
https://twitter.com/JulieDiCaro/status/1038550338373148673