Naomi Osaka defeated Serena Williams 6-2,6-4 on Saturday in the US Open final. But the match, which was Osaka’s first major…
Naomi Osaka defeated Serena Williams 6-2,6-4 on Saturday in the US Open final. But the match, which was Osaka’s first major title, was marked with controversy.
Over the course of the final, Williams was given three code violations by chair umpire Carlos Ramos, the third leading to an automatic loss of a game in the second set. Williams has since accused the umpire of being sexist.
When first two violations were lobbed against her — the first of which was for coaching and the second for throwing her racket — Williams confronted Ramos.
« You owe me an apology, » she 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. You will never do another one of my matches. »
She continued: « And you stole a point from me. You’re a thief. »
Ramos then gave Williams her third code violation for verbal abuse, and, in turn a game penalty. Williams told referee Brian Earley that she was discriminated against because of her gender, as she’d seen men behave in far worse ways without being punished.
« Because I’m a woman, you’re going to take this away from me? » she said. « This has happened to me too many times. »
Now, celebrities, athletes, and other public figures are taking to social media to show their support for Williams.
Tennis legend Billie Jean King took to Twitter to thank Williams for calling out the double standard between the way people perceive men and women’s expression of emotion.
Janelle Monáe also applauded Williams, saying « QUEENS stand up for the greater good of US ALL and LEAD BY EXAMPLE every chance they get. »
Nicki Minaj took her tribute to Instagram, where she simply captioned her post « #QueenTingz. »
Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn said both women handled a tough situation « with class and composure. »
Kevin Hart gave a nod to both Osaka and Williams, too.
Kelley Rowland applauded Williams and called out the ump for his » weak soul » and the « double standard. »
Ciara also posted on Instagram. « Proud of my friend Serena Williams for standing up and being strong tonight, » she wrote. « A true inspiration to many of us women. A new day is coming. »
On Sunday, The AP reported that Williams has been fined $17,000 over response to the penalty. The $17,000 fine will come out of Williams’ $1.85 million prize money, according to the AP.
Visit INSIDER’s homepage for more.
Follow INSIDER on Facebook .
