US Open 2018: Chair umpire’s action, Serena Williams’ over-reaction ruined Naomi Osaka’s moment of triumph

Naomi Osaka had probably dreamed up this scenario in her head a few good times: playing her idol Serena Williams in a Grand Slam final, especially at the US Open. But never could she have imagined the course of events that unfolded through the evening, when she did end up as the winner but seemed more apologetic and embarrassed about it rather than soaking in the pure joy of winning a first Major. Osaka played with purpose and power during her 6-2, 6-4 victory over Williams, becoming the first Japanese singles player, male or female, to win a Grand Slam. Her poise in the big difficult moments would have made her idol, Williams, proud. But the supreme show of talent and maturity from the 20-year-old was overshadowed by an overtly-strict umpire and the petulance of the 36-year-old Williams. [caption id=“attachment_5146491” align=“alignleft” width=“381”] Serena Williams yells at chair umpire Carlos Ramos during the US Open final. Reuters[/caption] In the second game of the second set, chair umpire Carlos Ramos spotted Williams’ coach Patrick Mouratoglou making hand gestures and issued the American a code violation for on-court coaching. “I don’t cheat to win,” Williams shot back at the official. “I’d rather lose.” The American, seemingly riled up by the incident, went on to break Osaka for a 3-1 lead. But she couldn’t consolidate the break. After serving a double fault at 30-40 down, Williams took her frustration out on the racquet, slamming it against the courts and breaking it. Racquet abuse is a code violation by the book, and Ramos ruled it so. In football, referees go softer on player on a second yellow-card offence so as not to affect the game too much. But in this regard, umpire Ramos, was quick to call a second code violation for Williams, showing her the metaphorical red card. Williams was docked a point and Osaka started her next service game at 15-0. The American fumed at the umpire and said he “owed” her an apology. But all hell broke loose during the change-over after the seventh game, when Williams continued to engage with the umpire and called him a ‘thief’ and kept insisting he say ‘sorry’ to her for implying that she was a cheat. Ramos announced a third code violation for Williams, for ‘verbal abuse’ this time, which meant that Williams was docked a game. “There are men out here that do a lot worse, but because I’m a woman, because I’m a woman, you’re going to take this away from me? That is not right,” Williams, who broke down during her dialogue with the tournament referee, said. “This has happened to me too many times.” The American was referring to the incidents at the 2009 US Open, when she was issued a point penalty against Kim Clijsters on match point for threatening to stuff a ball down a lineswoman’s throat. Two years later, against Samantha Stosur in the US Open final, she was made to concede a point she had rightfully won because she shouted ‘Come on!’ in the middle of the rally. The entire women’s tennis fraternity got behind Williams after the incidents on Saturday. But a confession came from her coach Mouratoglou, who admitted he was coaching Williams. “Yes, I coached. I did make a coaching signal. Serena did not see me, that’s why she did not understand why she got a warning,” the Frenchman told ESPN. “But I tried to coach her, like 100 percent of the coaches in 100 percent of the matches all year long.” This is a flawed defence a 100 percent of the times. Getting caught in the act is not ‘okay’ because everyone else is doing it. It is still a violation of the rules. Williams, who is one of the few players who does not use on-court coaching that is legal at WTA events, however, denied his claims. “We don’t have signals,” she said. “We have never discussed signals,” she said at her post-match conference. I’m trying to figure out why he would say that.” What could have been a minor coaching code violation warning was had escalated to ugly heights with neither Williams, nor the umpire, ready to see reason. Her idol was undergoing a meltdown. But Osaka stayed in the shadows as the tension built up on the court, trying to keep her focus steady and her legs moving. She blanked out the distractions and the verbal volleys to serve out the match at 6-4 coolly. But it didn’t last for long. Stunned at beating her idol and shaken by all that had happened on the court, Osaka spent most of her time after the match crying under the towel. The crowd kept booing even after the players were called to the podium. Visibly upset, Osaka pulled down her visor and shed a few more tears. Williams, who had let her emotions get the better of her on the court, though was all grace from that moment on. She loped a friendly arm across Osaka’s shoulder to comfort her. “Let’s give everyone the credit where credit’s due and let’s not boo anymore,” she told the crowd at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. “We’re going to get through this, and let’s be positive and make this the best moment for her. So congratulations, Naomi. No more booing!” The 36-year-old American, who gave birth to a baby girl last September, had her own wounds to lick. She had now lost out on a shot at history for the second time in a row. One win away from equaling Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 singles Major titles, Williams has now lost in the finals of Wimbledon and US Open. Both the times done in by more her younger, more sprightly competitors. But Williams realised that this was not the time to rue over her missed opportunities. She handed the stage to Osaka, guiding her through the trophy presentation rituals. It took a while for Osaka to crack a smile but in time she owned the winners’ podium just like she had owned the court this fortnight.