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I enjoy watching tennis, and the match between Novak Djokovic and Juan del Potro was fantastic in the second set, when del Potro battled from a break down to really push Djokovic. Both players were showing what they were capable of, and it was a beautiful match to watch at that point, except for one thing. The one thing that was not enjoyable to watch or listen to was the crowd, which was clearly partisan, to the point that they cheered when Djokovic, one of the greatest and most decorated tennis players in history, would screw up. He was clearly starting to grow exasperated with the crowd, and he had good reason to be.
This came just a day after 20-year old Naomi Osaka burst into tears for all the wrong reasons just minutes after winning not only her first ever Grand Slam tennis championship, but the first for Japan in single's play for either the women's or men's side. That is a huge accomplishment that should have made her feel elated. Yet, the crowd booed during the trophy presentation, which should have been one of the greatest moments of Osaka's life, making it an ugly moment that put Osaka into tears for all of the wrong reasons. It really made what should have been perhaps the most beautiful moment of her life to this point into an ugly incident that likely will leave a bad taste in her mouth.
To put it bluntly, the audience for this U.S. Open was sickening. To a certain degree, because of their blind partisan support of the two players that wound up losing the final matches, they ruined each of those finals to a degree. Their conduct forced reactions from both of the newly crowned champions. Djokovic visibly showed frustration and impatience with them, and fielded questions regarding his approach to them during the match. But the most obvious one was with Osaka, and how she burst into tears and seemed downright sad on what should have been at least one of the happiest and proudest moments of her life.
Both Djokovic and Osaka had played brilliantly during this entire tournament. To be sure, no one reaches the final of a Grand Slam tournament by playing poorly. Clearly, you have to have shown something impressive, and everyone who reaches the final, including Williams and del Potro, showed some brilliant play. Del Potro was not the problem yesterday. I will discuss Williams shortly. But Osaka showed that Williams was a huge influence, often times looking a bit like Williams herself, using tremendous power to cast one opponent after another aside. And Djokovic has been playing at such a high level for so long. He won his 14th career Grand Slam, which ties him with Sampras for the third most for all-time on the men's side. His two consecutive Grand Slam wins this year at Wimbledon and now the U.S. Open cemented a strong comeback from a nagging wrist injury. Clearly, he is back, and deserves to enjoy this moment. But the crowd seemed intent on preventing him from doing so, cheering when he had a bad serve, or made a mistake, trying to will him to make more, to make enough to cost him the match.
It was disgusting. Djokovic is a class act, both on and off the court. He does some amazing things for charity, to help people. He has shown a strong sense of humor, and is a downright likable guy. Being treated like he was yesterday, as if he were some kind of villain, is beneath him, quite frankly. He deserves better. So did Osaka. The people that tried to ruin their championship moments should be ashamed of themselves.
As for Williams, I know that she is clearly a fan favorite among many fans, especially here in the United States. But she was out of line during her protesting. She insisted that she did not get coaching, and clearly, the crowd was with her. Even the announcers were applauding her, suggesting that she was setting the record straight with the chair umpire Carlos Ramos. She insisted that all the coach had done was give her a thumbs up sign, and then going on to say that she would rather lose than cheat. Again, everyone applauded. The only problem is that Serena's coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, admitted that he was indeed coaching. This is what he said the day after:
"I'm honest, I was coaching."
It could not be clearer than that.
But Williams kept going, insisting that Ramos owed her an apology, and asking how dare he attack her character, suggesting that she was cheating. She demanded that apology, and when he did not give it, she told him not to talk to her, and called him both a "liar" and a "thief," for stealing a point from her because of a code violation. This, in turn, was called "verbal abuse," and cost Williams a game. She then implied, fairly accurately at that, that she was being mistreated because she is a woman, and that this was unfair. On that, she might indeed be right, because a lot of men, perhaps most famously one of the commentators, John McEnroe, have done worse on the court, and often gotten away with worse than name calling.
The thing is, though, Williams did indeed receive coaching. Her coach admitted to it, even if she did not. She was looking up at her coach, and he clearly gave hand signals that were quite a bit more than the "thumbs up" sign that she has insisted was all that he had given her. Again, he admitted as much. So we have to go back to Serena yelling about Ramos allegedly attacking her character and implying that she was cheating, even though, in fact, it turns out that he saw what the coach himself admitted was coaching. In other words, she was in the wrong, and yet, demanding an apology from Ramos, and calling him a "liar" and a "thief." She said that he would never work an event like this again, which sounds almost like a threat. She simply kept on going and going, telling him not to talk to her, and then continuing her own rant, and then growing tearful and acting the part of the clear victim, saying that this kind of thing happens too often to her. But she was in the wrong to begin with, and she allowed her emotions to get the better of her. It is not a minor point that all of this happened just as Osaka had broken back after Serena had taken an early 3-1 second set lead, and managed to tie the set up again. On almost every level, it seemed to me that Serena was in the wrong, and that the story of this match came to be about her meltdown, rather than about the play on the tennis court, is telling.
Personally, I think that these kinds of events, which Serena herself suggested happen too often with her, are a part of her legacy. I mean, seriously, this is one of the most decorated and celebrated players in tennis history. Yet, she seems to have such a sense of entitlement, that she flies off the handle when someone criticizes her in any way. The chair umpire caught a clear act of coaching, and called her on it. The coach himself admitted that he was coaching. But she flew into a rage, calling his name, attacking his character, and even seeming to threaten that he would never work here again. Then, she played the victim when that harassment cost her a game, and people watching and clearly siding with her made all of this out to be that she was a victim, that this was about sexism. Instead of a discussion about how brilliantly Osaka played, and how she might be the new powerhouse emerging in women's tennis, it was about Serena Williams again. Even when she loses, she seems to need to take center stage, and the crowd, who clearly was with her, made their own voices heard, as well.
To her credit, Serena tried to silence them in the post-match trophy presentation, when they booed as Osaka lifted her well-earned trophy. But the moment was already ruined. This match was all about Serena, and whether or not you agreed that she was the victim, or whether or not you disagreed. Lost in all of this was the fact that Osaka played a very solid game and played very well under difficult, even hostile, circumstances. She kept her poise, and won not only her first Grand Slam title, but the first one for her nation, for Japan. That is what the story should have been, and Osaka lifting the trophy for the first time in Japanese history should have been the crowning achievement.
Personally, I believe that Serena started to recognize just how dreadfully her own conduct overshadowed Osaka's victory. Serena was clearly trying to cheer Osaka up, smiling broadly and making comments or jokes, although this hardly seemed to cheer Osaka. My guess is that Serena saw the impact that this had on Osaka, who should obviously have been enjoying her first Grand Slam title, and basking in the glow of this incredible accomplishment. But some things, once done, simply cannot be undone, or even minimized. By that point, the damage had been done. The crowd clearly and without question had supported Serena and accepted her criticisms as just, and were in the mood to boo the results, which were not favorable for them. They should have been better sports, and cheered Osaka's incredible accomplishment, the first for any player from Japan. That was something that Osaka should have been given the chance to celebrate. She earned it.
Instead, it was about Serena. Serena seems to make sure that it is always about her, like she made sure of it in this match. But she was wrong, and her own coach admitted to coaching. Everything that followed, and which clearly tarnished this match, was Serena's own doing. Most of her ranting was after a third - rather than a first or even a second - offense. She had been given ample warning.
To her supporters, many of whom were at the stadium, Osaka's victory apparently felt like it was somehow the result of cheating. In fact, it was Williams who was accused of cheating, and her coach outright admitted to it, which means that the chair umpire was right to begin with. It should be noted that Mouratoglou admitted to coaching, but insisted that every coach also coaches through hand signals during every match. That, too, is a discussion for another time, whether or not what he suggests is indeed true, or not. Maybe the chair umpire's later actions, taking a point from Serena when she smashed her racket, and then taking an entire game from her after her verbal assault, went too far. That is a discussion that many are having right now, because Serena made sure of it, tearing up and asking why these things always happen to her. That is what everyone is talking about.
They should be talking about Osaka. They should be talking about her emergence as a serious powerhouse to be dealt with in women's tennis. They should be talking about her breaking through as the first Japanese player to ever win a Grand Slam in tennis. That is what they should be talking about. But Serena made sure that they would still be talking about Serena, and how she was supposed to have been cheated.
I, for one, am not buying it.
But you, of course, can and should decide for yourself. So, here is a video of the incident that has sparked controversy and debate ever since:
'I'm honest, I was coaching' - Serena's coach Patrick Mouratoglou by Dan Quarrell, September 9, 2018:
https://www.eurosport.com/tennis/us-open/2018/i-m-honest-i-was-coaching-serena-s-coach-patrick-mouratoglou_sto6924863/story.shtml
Both Djokovic and Osaka had played brilliantly during this entire tournament. To be sure, no one reaches the final of a Grand Slam tournament by playing poorly. Clearly, you have to have shown something impressive, and everyone who reaches the final, including Williams and del Potro, showed some brilliant play. Del Potro was not the problem yesterday. I will discuss Williams shortly. But Osaka showed that Williams was a huge influence, often times looking a bit like Williams herself, using tremendous power to cast one opponent after another aside. And Djokovic has been playing at such a high level for so long. He won his 14th career Grand Slam, which ties him with Sampras for the third most for all-time on the men's side. His two consecutive Grand Slam wins this year at Wimbledon and now the U.S. Open cemented a strong comeback from a nagging wrist injury. Clearly, he is back, and deserves to enjoy this moment. But the crowd seemed intent on preventing him from doing so, cheering when he had a bad serve, or made a mistake, trying to will him to make more, to make enough to cost him the match.
It was disgusting. Djokovic is a class act, both on and off the court. He does some amazing things for charity, to help people. He has shown a strong sense of humor, and is a downright likable guy. Being treated like he was yesterday, as if he were some kind of villain, is beneath him, quite frankly. He deserves better. So did Osaka. The people that tried to ruin their championship moments should be ashamed of themselves.
As for Williams, I know that she is clearly a fan favorite among many fans, especially here in the United States. But she was out of line during her protesting. She insisted that she did not get coaching, and clearly, the crowd was with her. Even the announcers were applauding her, suggesting that she was setting the record straight with the chair umpire Carlos Ramos. She insisted that all the coach had done was give her a thumbs up sign, and then going on to say that she would rather lose than cheat. Again, everyone applauded. The only problem is that Serena's coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, admitted that he was indeed coaching. This is what he said the day after:
"I'm honest, I was coaching."
It could not be clearer than that.
But Williams kept going, insisting that Ramos owed her an apology, and asking how dare he attack her character, suggesting that she was cheating. She demanded that apology, and when he did not give it, she told him not to talk to her, and called him both a "liar" and a "thief," for stealing a point from her because of a code violation. This, in turn, was called "verbal abuse," and cost Williams a game. She then implied, fairly accurately at that, that she was being mistreated because she is a woman, and that this was unfair. On that, she might indeed be right, because a lot of men, perhaps most famously one of the commentators, John McEnroe, have done worse on the court, and often gotten away with worse than name calling.
The thing is, though, Williams did indeed receive coaching. Her coach admitted to it, even if she did not. She was looking up at her coach, and he clearly gave hand signals that were quite a bit more than the "thumbs up" sign that she has insisted was all that he had given her. Again, he admitted as much. So we have to go back to Serena yelling about Ramos allegedly attacking her character and implying that she was cheating, even though, in fact, it turns out that he saw what the coach himself admitted was coaching. In other words, she was in the wrong, and yet, demanding an apology from Ramos, and calling him a "liar" and a "thief." She said that he would never work an event like this again, which sounds almost like a threat. She simply kept on going and going, telling him not to talk to her, and then continuing her own rant, and then growing tearful and acting the part of the clear victim, saying that this kind of thing happens too often to her. But she was in the wrong to begin with, and she allowed her emotions to get the better of her. It is not a minor point that all of this happened just as Osaka had broken back after Serena had taken an early 3-1 second set lead, and managed to tie the set up again. On almost every level, it seemed to me that Serena was in the wrong, and that the story of this match came to be about her meltdown, rather than about the play on the tennis court, is telling.
Personally, I think that these kinds of events, which Serena herself suggested happen too often with her, are a part of her legacy. I mean, seriously, this is one of the most decorated and celebrated players in tennis history. Yet, she seems to have such a sense of entitlement, that she flies off the handle when someone criticizes her in any way. The chair umpire caught a clear act of coaching, and called her on it. The coach himself admitted that he was coaching. But she flew into a rage, calling his name, attacking his character, and even seeming to threaten that he would never work here again. Then, she played the victim when that harassment cost her a game, and people watching and clearly siding with her made all of this out to be that she was a victim, that this was about sexism. Instead of a discussion about how brilliantly Osaka played, and how she might be the new powerhouse emerging in women's tennis, it was about Serena Williams again. Even when she loses, she seems to need to take center stage, and the crowd, who clearly was with her, made their own voices heard, as well.
To her credit, Serena tried to silence them in the post-match trophy presentation, when they booed as Osaka lifted her well-earned trophy. But the moment was already ruined. This match was all about Serena, and whether or not you agreed that she was the victim, or whether or not you disagreed. Lost in all of this was the fact that Osaka played a very solid game and played very well under difficult, even hostile, circumstances. She kept her poise, and won not only her first Grand Slam title, but the first one for her nation, for Japan. That is what the story should have been, and Osaka lifting the trophy for the first time in Japanese history should have been the crowning achievement.
Personally, I believe that Serena started to recognize just how dreadfully her own conduct overshadowed Osaka's victory. Serena was clearly trying to cheer Osaka up, smiling broadly and making comments or jokes, although this hardly seemed to cheer Osaka. My guess is that Serena saw the impact that this had on Osaka, who should obviously have been enjoying her first Grand Slam title, and basking in the glow of this incredible accomplishment. But some things, once done, simply cannot be undone, or even minimized. By that point, the damage had been done. The crowd clearly and without question had supported Serena and accepted her criticisms as just, and were in the mood to boo the results, which were not favorable for them. They should have been better sports, and cheered Osaka's incredible accomplishment, the first for any player from Japan. That was something that Osaka should have been given the chance to celebrate. She earned it.
Instead, it was about Serena. Serena seems to make sure that it is always about her, like she made sure of it in this match. But she was wrong, and her own coach admitted to coaching. Everything that followed, and which clearly tarnished this match, was Serena's own doing. Most of her ranting was after a third - rather than a first or even a second - offense. She had been given ample warning.
To her supporters, many of whom were at the stadium, Osaka's victory apparently felt like it was somehow the result of cheating. In fact, it was Williams who was accused of cheating, and her coach outright admitted to it, which means that the chair umpire was right to begin with. It should be noted that Mouratoglou admitted to coaching, but insisted that every coach also coaches through hand signals during every match. That, too, is a discussion for another time, whether or not what he suggests is indeed true, or not. Maybe the chair umpire's later actions, taking a point from Serena when she smashed her racket, and then taking an entire game from her after her verbal assault, went too far. That is a discussion that many are having right now, because Serena made sure of it, tearing up and asking why these things always happen to her. That is what everyone is talking about.
They should be talking about Osaka. They should be talking about her emergence as a serious powerhouse to be dealt with in women's tennis. They should be talking about her breaking through as the first Japanese player to ever win a Grand Slam in tennis. That is what they should be talking about. But Serena made sure that they would still be talking about Serena, and how she was supposed to have been cheated.
I, for one, am not buying it.
But you, of course, can and should decide for yourself. So, here is a video of the incident that has sparked controversy and debate ever since:
'I'm honest, I was coaching' - Serena's coach Patrick Mouratoglou by Dan Quarrell, September 9, 2018:
https://www.eurosport.com/tennis/us-open/2018/i-m-honest-i-was-coaching-serena-s-coach-patrick-mouratoglou_sto6924863/story.shtml
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