Serena Williams may have lost the US Open final to 20-year-old Naomi Osaka, but she still made a huge impact on Saturday.
What began as the court’s umpire Carols Ramos docking Williams points, turned into an important moment for female athletes. The tennis star received her first code violation because of her coach allegedly helping her from his box, and the next after she broke her racket in frustration. These prompted her to confront Ramos.
“I don’t cheat to win. I’d rather lose,” Williams said. “I have never cheated in my life. I have a daughter and I stand for what’s right for her. I’ve never cheated, and you owe me an apology.”
Williams was particularly upset because she said that male athletes don’t face the same violations.
“There are men out here that do a lot worse, but because I’m a woman you’re going to take this away from me? Every time I play here, I have problems,” Williams said.
After Williams called Ramos a “thief,” for taking points from her, Ramos cited Williams for a third time — resulting in the loss of a game, The New York Times reported.
After the finals, Williams said that she wouldn’t go back in time and not call Ramos a “thief.” Instead, she used the press conference to continue discussing the double standards female athletes face.
“I’ve seen other men call other umpires several things. I’m here fighting for women’s rights and women’s equality and for me to say ‘thief’ and for him to take a game, it made me feel like it was a sexist remark,” Williams said. “He’s never took a game from a man because he said ‘thief.'”
She continued, holding back tears, “I am going to continue to fight for women…The fact that I have to go through this is just an example for the next person that has emotions and wants to express themselves and want to be a strong woman. They’re going to be allowed to do that because of today.”
Regarding the first violation — which started the whole thing — Williams’ coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, later admitted to ESPN that he was coaching Williams; however, he said Osaka’s coach was doing the same, as do “100 percent of the coaches in 100 percent of the matches.”
“I don’t even think she looked at me, so that’s why she didn’t even think I was…We have to stop this hypocrite thing,” Mouratoglou added.
Other athletes have since come to Williams’ defense, agreeing that the violations were unnecessary. Even tennis legend Billie Jean King weighed in.
(1/2) Several things went very wrong during the @usopen Women’s Finals today. Coaching on every point should be allowed in tennis. It isn’t, and as a result, a player was penalized for the actions of her coach. This should not happen.
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) September 9, 2018
(2/2) When a woman is emotional, she’s “hysterical” and she’s penalized for it. When a man does the same, he’s “outspoken” & and there are no repercussions. Thank you, @serenawilliams, for calling out this double standard. More voices are needed to do the same.
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) September 9, 2018
Meanwhile, Osaka became the first Japanese player to win a Grand Slam title. Major props!