It is ridiculous for Serena Williams to claim her behaviour in the US Open final on Saturday was in the name of women’s rights.
In fact, it does a disservice to those who are fighting such battles.
There are two issues being conflated in Serena Williams’ loss to first time grand-slam winner Naomi Osaka 6-2, 6-4.
These are the presence of sexism in sport – and indeed society broadly – and the adjudication of an umpire. More to the point accepting the ref’s decision.
To the first question: Is there unequal treatment of women and men in sport?
Absolutely!
The disparity in prize-money, the struggle for professional contracts, the resources afforded to men’s and women’s sport (and of course media coverage of men’s and women’s sport) tell a sorry tale of sporting administrations – almost always dominated by male boardrooms – letting female athletes down.
Players unions are starting to advocate for their female members, but in reality it is the female athletes who have had to fight tooth and nail for every step towards equality. And there is a lot of improvement needed.
In New York, Williams’ display during and after losing to Osaka had nothing to do with the aforementioned issues or how women are treated totally unfairly.
Much to her credit, Williams has historically fought for issues addressing pay-imbalance and racial discrimination. Yet, what was at hand this weekend was her inability to accept an umpire’s adjudication.
Accused of being coached between points, Williams would later get a point violation for smashing her racquet and then a game penalty for abusing an umpire.
These are the three decisions that Williams alleges stem from sexism and that her calling out of the umpires’ decision was in the name of women’s suffrage.
The issue I take with Serena’s attempt to rewrite history of this match as sexism is that Carlos Ramos is adjudicating over what is front of him. He wasn’t umpiring Novak Djokovic or Nick Kyrgios that night, he was umpiring the player that questioned his integrity and showed absolutely no respect for him.
Indeed, threatening his career in the future. “You will never ever ever be on a court of mine as long as you live,” Williams said.
Serena Williams, a player Osaka has looked up to and drawn inspiration from, showed complete immaturity calling the umpire a thief and claiming through the advent of being a mother there is no way should could be in breach of the rules of tennis. “I didn’t get coaching. You owe me an apology. I have never cheated in my life… You stole a point from you are a thief too,” Williams said.
US Open winner Osaka’s sad celebrations amid boos
Her coach did later admit that in fact he was coaching Williams, which is in breach of the rules. But don’t let the fact she was guilty as charged by her coach’s own admission.
It’s hard to believe Williams being one of the greatest athletes ever to compete and an inspirational woman decided to follow the path of an entitled bully who acted as though this was her moment. Anyone that dare intervene – even to enforce the laws of the game ought to step aside and bow down to the only person who matters.
Williams isn’t the first player to blow up about perceived stiff calls or behave in a childish manner. The problem often has been male players behaviour on the court.
As Australian followers of tennis know we’ve had more than our fair share of men behaving disgracefully on the court.
An important observation to make is how women and men are represented when they protest decisions or become frustrated during a match.
There are outlets that leave a lot to be desired in how they present female athletes and their arguments with umpires.
Serena’s behaviour wasn’t hysterical and wasn’t because she’s a woman who was ‘flustered’. It was because the type of retaliation to umpires that features a lot in tennis.
Whether Nick Kyrgios, John McEnroe or Serena Williams. The actions are rubbish!
The worst element of all of this? The story people are most concerned with isn’t the one we should be.
Twenty-year-old Naomi Osaka is the youngest US Open champion in more than a decade. She’s the first Japanese woman to win a grand slam too.
Serena Williams is a champion, an icon and an inspiration and that’s how she should and will be remembered. However, on September 8, 2018 she was a sore loser. Plain and simple.
Mick Gold Coast QLD
Roar Guru
I am attracted to your piece by the “champion who behaved like a child” title. I’m not a tennis follower but I did have the good fortune to witness the sublime skills of Rod Laver, a gentleman; the calm demeanour and reliability of Ken Rosewell, also a gentleman; the long, successful reign of Margaret Court; and the beautiful natural talent of the universally loved Evonne Goolagong. We then witnessed Jimmy Connors bursting onto the scene, followed by John McEnroe, to introduce modern tennis, and we learned pretty quickly what brash New Yorker meant. I have been fascinated by Serena Williams right from the jump though, and have stopped to watch her over the years. I have admired her exceptional power, physical ability and great success over the past twenty years, and I have marvelled at the discipline she must follow to contain her weight. She is often up against slim waifs from Europe at about 60 kilos maximum, 20 or 25 kilos lighter than her. As a big bloke I am conscious of the amount of extra roadwork one must do to remain in the game (rugby and boxing) especially from the late 20s onwards. She is an outstanding tennis player and a remarkable athlete. I have not paid a lot of attention to her beyond that however her latest effort has revealed a nasty, self-absorbed manner, and an unmistakable dishonesty, which may well limit her relevance after tennis, which is fast approaching. Serena Williams at 20 years old would not have appreciated the dismissive treatment she afforded Naomi Osaka in her fabulous moment of high achievement.
That fight was won long ago, she's getting herself mixed up with Billie Jean King - The US Open introduced equal prize money for women in 1973, the Australian Open did so in 2001, and the French Open and Wimbledon followed suit in 2007. Of the 31 Grand Slam Tournament Finals in which she has appeared Williams has taken home equal pay 27 times - that's 87% of ‘em. She just walked out of this tournament with $1.85 million dollars for coming a churlish second! The US Open total prize money is $53 million including $21 m for the men’s singles winners (Rounds 1 to 4 and all finals) and $3 m for men’s doubles winners. The women? $21 m for the singles and $3 m for the doubles. Prize money has grown from about $25 million in 2012 and $34 million in 2013. Umpire Ramos was paid $653 for officiating the Williams - Osaka match. $653. "No sexist issue there," said Chris Evert, the former world No.1, on Sunday. "His history with men players shows that." On the bleating about her courageous stand on remuneration and equality Serena Williams is talking rubbish, lying grandly. I agree with other posters here that the women don’t deserve equal pay because they don’t play under the same conditions as the men, it defies reason. Williams getting this hysterical is hilarious. She's recently become a mother, which is unremarkable because that is what lots of women do, by their own choice, and they can because the mechanics are there for that to happen. Why does Williams feel the need to plead a case for her child at the 2018 US Open Women's Final? Anticipated future sexism, bigotry, misogyny and racism? With a mother who reverts to irrational this readily the kid is likely to end up an A Grade brat, but it won't need for anything material. Women's inequality has contained Serena Williams' net worth to a miserable $180 million after career earnings of a paltry $90 million, then she married a bloke who is worth a mere $ 9 million. At what point does this narcissistic personality accept she has overcome whatever bias and bigotry she claims to have suffered? I have long been amused by the “I’m a mother” schtick, as if it instantly bestows worldliness, wisdom and high standing on the mom which was absent just a year beforehand. When it is trotted out by the otherwise famous it is good fodder for the chubby Oprah / dishevelled Whoopi gossip circuit, entertaining the idle minds of the vacuous moms, dishing up all the vapid lines they want to hear. Important stuff. This struck a chord from about a decade ago so I went looking. In 2009 she was playing Kim Clijsters in the US Open semi, poorly, and a seated line umpire(?) foot faulted her twice. The line umpire was a little Asian lady, quiet, reserved and polite. Williams walked over towards her hurling abuse: "I swear to God I'll ******* take the ball and shove it down your ******* throat." The lady thought about it for a few seconds, stood up and trotted over to the umpire and told her what was said. The umpire called for her boss and Williams loomed up (you can view it all on You Tube). She berated the big boss and his trusty assistant, coincidentally the same two who attended her a week or so back (Brian Earley and Donna Kelso). They both genuflected several times but evidently announced a point penalty, which meant game, set and match (she had been dealt with in the first set for giving her incompetent racket a jolly good thrashing). Williams gave no quarter, as she states one must do towards wymminses, to the female line umpire, female umpire, female opponent or the female trusty assistant to the chauvinistic representative of the misogynistic male patriarchy. Clijsters went on to win the US Open 2009 and successfully defended it the following year. Just as in the current case she is not due an extra warning before a penalty is imposed. She has been around for long enough to know precisely what she is doing and not doing. Williams has more form, including insulting a female umpire in a US Open final in 2011 with Sam Stosur. Once again playing poorly she sneered at the umpire during a drinks break that she was "a hater" and "unattractive … inside". She lost that Final too. Serena Williams is a disgrace. I agree with other posters here that the women don’t deserve equal pay because they don’t play under the same conditions as the men, it defies reason. Williams getting this hysterical is hilarious. She's recently become a mother, which is unremarkable because that is what lots of women do, by their own choice, and they can because the mechanics are there for that to happen. Why does Williams feel the need to plead a case for her child at the 2018 US Open Women's Final? Anticipated future sexism, bigotry, misogyny and racism? With a mother who reverts to irrational this readily the kid is likely to end up an A Grade brat, but it won't need for anything material. Women's inequality has contained Serena Williams' net worth to a miserable $180 million after career earnings of a paltry $90 million, then she married a bloke who is worth a mere $ 9 million. At what point does this narcissistic personality accept she has overcome whatever bias and bigotry she claims to have suffered? I have long been amused by the “I’m a mother” schtick, as if it instantly bestows worldliness, wisdom and high standing on the mom which was absent just a year beforehand. When it is trotted out by the otherwise famous it is good fodder for the chubby Oprah / dishevelled Whoopi gossip circuit, entertaining the idle minds of the vacuous moms, dishing up all the vapid lines they want to hear. Important stuff. This struck a chord from about a decade ago so I went looking. In 2009 she was playing Kim Clijsters in the US Open semi, poorly, and a seated line umpire(?) foot faulted her twice. The line umpire was a little Asian lady, quiet, reserved and polite. Williams walked over towards her hurling abuse: "I swear to God I'll ******* take the ball and shove it down your ******* throat." The lady thought about it for a few seconds, stood up and trotted over to the umpire and told her what was said. The umpire called for her boss and Williams loomed up (you can view it all on You Tube). She berated the big boss and his trusty assistant, coincidentally the same two who attended her a week or so back (Brian Earley and Donna Kelso). They both genuflected several times but evidently announced a point penalty, which meant game, set and match (she had been dealt with in the first set for giving her incompetent racket a jolly good thrashing). Williams gave no quarter, as she states one must do towards wymminses, to the female line umpire, female umpire, female opponent or the female trusty assistant to the chauvinistic representative of the misogynistic male patriarchy. Clijsters went on to win the US Open 2009 and successfully defended it the following year. Just as in the current case she is not due an extra warning before a penalty is imposed. She has been around for long enough to know precisely what she is doing and not doing. Williams has more form, including insulting a female umpire in a US Open final in 2011 with Sam Stosur. Once again playing poorly she sneered at the umpire during a drinks break that she was "a hater" and "unattractive … inside". She lost that Final too. Serena Williams has behaved disgracefully.Stu
Roar Rookie
Nothing good ever came out of a Williams..
Wise Old Elf
Guest
Champion player, CHUMP human being.
CJ
Guest
Yes, spoilt brat comes to mind. There is a story today that he is well renowned as a stickler for the rules with men. An authoritarian umpire perhaps (Nadal has some issues with him) but sexist - gimme a break! And as I understand, she only initially got a warning for the cheating. As for what happened afterwards, I think that umpire had a lot of guts to stick to his guns against someone as powerful in the game as Williams. I hope he is not secretly ostracised for this.
JamesH
Roar Guru
It's incredibly sad because there IS sexism in tennis - look at the catsuit nonsense or the code violation Cornet got hit with for turning her top around on court. But, as you say, what Serena experienced was not sexisim. It was just the product of her own petulant behaviour.
anon
Roar Pro
I don't understand the sexism angle. There was another woman at the other side of the net. It wasn't as if the umpire was punishing Williams in order for a male to win. Same with the racism angle. The other player is half black/half Asian. Some racist punishing the African-America player in order for the Asian-Caribbean woman to win. Only in America. What a mess of a society.
Richard Islip
Roar Rookie
Well said. No one else in the world media has the guts to say this. This tennis player drummed up every racist / sexist hateful emotion she could, for her own entitled gain. Diva is way too mild for her. "MY court"etc Cannot wait until she is off the scene.
Malo5
Guest
She is unfit as but cause she normally has to play 2 sets she gets a win. She basically gets the whole pool of women’s money cause their ain’t the comp like the men. She has contempt for her women competitors and thinks she is entitled to the majority of prize money without training hard. She even boasts about that. Why do women play 3 sets.
damo
Guest
For me the worst part is the suggestion that Williams can influence who the umpire of her matches might be- sounds way too close to match fixing type stuff for my liking. Apparently though it is not just her that has said such a thing so maybe it's a tennis tantrum thing.
Blake Standfield
Roar Guru
No one wants to see that. The standard of the WTA tour is terrible at the moment.
pauly
Guest
Or just make the women play best of 5 sets....
buttery
Roar Rookie
She has history, look at Sam Stosur beating her at the US Open, that time she was having a go at a woman umpire, bringing the gender into it is her way of diverting the blame away from herself & the females her supported her have no sense of right & wrong.
clipper
Roar Rookie
The Shame, as you note, is that it took the focus off Osaka - who is also half Hatian - pretty sure she would be the first Hatian to win a GS too - she left Japan at 3 and lives in Florida. Pity the Umpire couldn't have make it clearer that there would be repercussions after she kept carrying on - perhaps she may have shut up and avoided the bitter ending.
YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS !
Guest
Women getting the same money as men in tennis is sexist. Isn't the mantra "Equal work for equal pay" ? To follow that mantra, there should not be separate men's and women's tournaments, there should only be one for both sexes. Equal work for equal pay. Did Williams call the umpire sexist simply because he's a man, she would not have used that word in the same circumstances if the umpire was a woman. Isn't that sexist ?
Harvey Wilson
Roar Rookie
Well said