According to the New York Times, Controversy and Accusations arise in the final match with Serena Williams and Naomi Osaki the 2018 Women’s Open. There was an argument with the chair umpire, and questionable penalties against Serena that cost her the match, and Naomi Osaka became the first Grand Slam Champion from Japan.
The match began with Naomi Osaki, the 20 from Japan in the lead against one of her idols and six-time Open Champion, Serena Williams. The chair umpire Carlos Ramos, with a reputation for being strict, called a code violation or a formal warning for coaching after spotting Patrick Mourtoglou with his hands six inches apart and moving forward, indicating how Serena should move. Frustrated Serena confronts the umpire about how she doesn’t cheat, and that wasn’t coaching.
Clearly frustrated and agitated, Serena hit into the net, then throws racket at her feet, destroying the racket. Throwing a racket is an automatic code violation, and her second violation gave Osaka a point for the next game.
Frustrated with the second code violation, she confronts the umpire again, addressing that she doesn’t cheat, that wasn’t coaching, assumed she was cheating and demanded an apology. She then said, “and you stole a point from me, you’re a thief, too.” Ramos then issued a third code violation, which results in a penalty of a lost game.
Serena then calls a referee over saying “to lose a game for saying that? It’s not fair, I mean, its really not.” She later claims that men have said a lot worse things, but because they are a man, this doesn’t happen to them. then wins the match, receiving a hug from Serena. At the podium, fans booed when the M.C. started to speak, causing Osaka to pull her visor down and cry. Williams then put her arm around Osaki, and when she spoke to the crowd, asked them to stop booing and celebrate Osaka’s victory. Osaka told the crowd “I’m sorry it had to end like this. I just want to say thank you for watching the match.”
The article Men’s US Open finalist respond to Serena Williams Umpire Controversy from News.com respond with the need for equality, especially about behavior and conversation on court with chair umpires.
The US Open Champion Novak Djokovic says there was a lot of emotion on that court, “He did change the course of that match. (It) was in my opinion, maybe unnecessary. We all go through our emotions, especially when you’re fighting for a grand slam trophy.”
The Washington Post article Japanese, Haitian and now a Grand Slam winner: Naomi Osaka’s historic journey to the U.S. Open questions the turnout. “We will never know whether young Osaka really won the 2018 U.S. Open or had it handed to her by a man who was going to make Serena Williams feel his power.” At the trophy presentation, Osaki bowed to Serena and said she was grateful to have played with her.
What is really unique about Osaki, besides her unbelievable tennis skills, her mother is Japanese and her father is Haitian, making her the first Champion for both Japan and Haiti. She has said that “maybe its because they can’t really pinpoint what it am, so it’s like anybody can cheer for me.” She is ranked 7th in the world, and is believed the first Grand Slam winner of Haitian descent.