On Saturday, September 8th, the Finale of the 2018 United States Open Tennis Championship was won by the noble Naomi Osaka. Naomi is a representative tennis player for Japan and happens to be the only Japanese citizen, man or woman, to ever win a Grand Slam singles tournament. Her tenacious accomplishments should be recognized, appreciated, and honored. At the young age of 20, her dedication and hard work has inspired many and opened up endless doors and possibilities for women worldwide. It is for this reason that she will now go down in history. So, why does Naomi’s winning game end with her crying tears of both misery and merry? Why are the first words we hear from her after the miraculous victory an apology?
She says,
“I know everyone was cheering for her and I’m sorry it had to end like this…”
Why is Naomi Osaka apologizing for her victory? There is only one explanation, and that is the public display of injustice and sexism towards her worthy opponent and role model, Serena Williams.
The unfair treatment Serena Williams has encountered in her career is known to all. It is a fact that she is drug tested the more than other athletes, and It is fact that she is a strong women that society tends to target. The witnessing of it makes the facts all the more real. The tension was already running high during this intimidating match, but the turmoil of the night began when the umpire accused Serena Williams of getting illegal coaching during the match. It was this cheating accusation that initiated her defense. She address the umpire in a way that reflects one who has been pushed too far, and demands an apology. However, there is some conflict as to where the nature of this requested apology roots from. She felt as if the umpire attacked her character by accusing her of cheating, and she said,
“I don’t cheat to win. I’d rather lose. I have a daughter, and I stand with pride for her. I have never cheated.”
She is upset because she sees a system that is rooting for her failure and dishonoring her victories with absurd accusations. Imagine how it feels to dedicate your entire life to something, and become the best just to have people believe you had to cheat to get there. She is frustrated because of how the system and society is set up, not with the fact that she lost the game. Serena emphasizes that the accusation made by the umpire and the penalties given for her behavior are sexist. People fail to empathize or understand that Williams’ frustration roots from the sexist penalties she was given that sealed her fate to lose the game, not the actual loss itself. After the match, Serena Williams explains that, “men call other umpires several things.” She says,
“I’m here fighting for women’s rights and for women’s equality and for all kinds of stuff. For me to say ‘thief’ and for him to take a game, it made me feel like it was a sexist remark. He’s never taken a game from a man because they said ‘thief’.” When a man is aggressive, outspoken, or violent, it’s just him being a man, but if a woman acts in the same manner she’s wrong and emotional and over-dramatic. It is a double standard, and we cannot fix a double standard until we acknowledge its existence. Unfortunately, society sees the attack and blames the victim. Serena’s actions are a result from a long history of victimization, but some believe that she was just being “sore loser.” Others even went as far as to create a racist, insulting caricature:
This proves the argument even more. A women who so many look up to has just been publicly humiliated and insulted, and this is the world’s response. Society has decided to ignore the fact that she has been treated unfairly, and ignore the fact that her character had just been attacked. People only focus on what makes a strong woman look weak because they fear her impact, her power, and her voice. As the great Malcolm X once said, “I have no mercy or compassion in me for a society that crush people and then penalize them for not being able to stand up under the weight.” Society and the entire tennis league has been crushing, insulting, and dehumanizing Serena Williams since her career as a professional tennis player began. They attack her demeanor, her figure, her relationship, you name it. She is being crushed physically, emotionally, and mentally, and the minute she can’t take it anymore she will be penalized. She was penalized! It is clear that America fears a strong women, even more so when she’s black.