Was Serena Williams right in accusing official of Sexism and loss against Naomi Osaka?

Personally, I felt it was a sad incident that highlighted how even the most powerful women can hide under the garb of sexism when she’s wrong.

Chair official Carlos Ramos followed all the right protocols to issue 3 penalties to Williams. He held his composure, stood his ground and followed the guidelines even when blatantly accused of sexism and being a thief.

Patrick Mouratoglou, Williams’ coach, was gesturing and offering instructions to Williams from the stands. This is against the rule. Official Ramos saw this and offered a warning, which offended Williams and she demanded an apology from him. She argued that there were no instructions given. However, later, captured on cameras, Coach Patrick himself agreed that he, indeed, was instructing Williams.

Williams got the second penalty when upon losing the game she smashed her racket on the court. Again, this is against the rule and this cost her one point. She then called the official a “thief” and “liar” for deducting her point. Ramos reprimanded her again, for the third time, following which Williams lost the match.

(Courtesy: Al Jazeera)

In all his decisions to penalize Serena Williams, Ramos was strictly in line with the rules and guidelines. He wasn’t wrong.

“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 told an official. Even Coach Patrick Mouratoglou said that is done by every coach (instructing players from stands) and usually such incidents follow warning and not penalties.

Point is: Maybe others do the same thing. And maybe other officials let things slip. However, just because it happens a lot doesn’t make it wrong right. And one simply cannot assume match referees to be same. Not at least Ramos, who’s known for his no-nonsense attitude. He played along the rules and did what an official is supposed to do, caring less about what others do in the same situation.

Serena Williams was wrong. And she got what the rules say. Getting angry, lashing out at the referee and then odiously pulling the women card to call official ‘sexist’ falls way below the par of a player with her stature.

Again, it also highlights how some women try to hide their mistakes under the shade of “being a woman”.

(Courtesy: NYtimes)

She perhaps didn’t receive any apology and didn’t have the course of the match changed with her accusations, but it did do what she wanted—trigger major sympathy from the attending crowd, who literally booed and hooted when Naomi Osaka was being awarded, eventually rendering her to tears. Williams also achieved instigating an undeserving debate of ‘sexism’.

Major kudos for official Carlos Ramos for standing tall and not obliging to the bully.

The whole development is also sad that it takes away all the credit from Naomi Osaka, who outmatched Williams on every level. Even without any such fiasco, Osaka could have very well beaten Williams. At just 20, Osaka was all around the court, moving fluently, serving as a champion and delivering a performance of her life. She won by 6-2, 6-4. (FACT: She treats Williams as her role model!)

Even with a thrilling victory that puts her as the best emerging tennis star, Osaka didn’t manage to stay in the headlines. Everyone was left talking about Williams. This sucks!

(Courtesy: Sporting News)

As good of a player Williams may be, the sourness to her loss puts a considerable dent on her sportsmanship. However, since pulling the ‘sexism’ card, few would care about it! Win or loss though, she proved that you can manage to have the most Grand Slam titles, but you certainly cannot match the grace and goodwill of Margaret Court.

Respect for chair official Carlos Ramos and, of course, Naomi Osaka.

(Courtesy: Yahoo)