Hey sports fans: you might have heard that Japan’s Naomi Osaka won her first grand slam title Saturday afternoon at the U.S. Open, defeating favorite Serena Williams.
Osaka’s victory was overshadowed, though, by an umpire docking Williams a game after she called him “a thief.”
BREAKING: Japan's Naomi Osaka has won her first grand slam title at the US Open. She beat Serena Williams, who was docked a game after calling the umpire a "thief." https://t.co/BZ5ytrKyIy pic.twitter.com/CckKmsdkaY
— CNN (@CNN) September 8, 2018
[Umpire Carlos] Ramos first gave Williams, 36, a code violation warning for coaching in the second game of the second set — he ruled that coach Patrick Mouratoglou gave her hand signals from the stands. Williams duly approached the net and told Ramos: “I don’t cheat. I’d rather lose. Every time I play here I have problems.”
…
Williams earned a point penalty Saturday for cracking her racket when broken for 3-2 in the second and subsequently was docked a game, to trail 5-3, for what Ramos deemed to be verbal abuse towards him. “You stole a point from me and you are a thief,” Williams said during a changeover at 3-4, to prompt the ruling.
For what it’s worth, the penalty didn’t cost Williams the match; Osaka played the better game. But Twitchy favorite Stephen Miller (aka @redsteeze) knew the hot takes were incoming:
Looking forward to a week of “Queen BAE wasn’t having any of it from that racist umpire” clickbait pic.twitter.com/xQQoKwHRcp
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) September 8, 2018
“Serena wasn’t just robbed. It was centuries of white privilege on display.” 100% guaranteed
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) September 8, 2018
Recommended
“Taking a point away from Serena wasn’t about Tennis. It was about racism.”
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) September 8, 2018
“Hate was on display this Sunday. A white man taking a point away from Serena Williams set progress back for minorities and women a 100 years.”
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) September 8, 2018
Whatever, she’s still the best female tennis player of all time but this is going to be a thing now.
— Stephen Miller (@redsteeze) September 8, 2018
Lo and behold, Slate came through with the piece just hours later:
How Serena Williams survived in the lily-white world of women's tennis: https://t.co/JadvESIc2Q
— Slate (@Slate) September 9, 2018
*knock knock* Delivery! Order by… *checks ticket* @redsteeze? Thanks for ordering with Critical Theory. pic.twitter.com/zAt5ubbhz7
— cabbieBot (@cabbieBot) September 9, 2018
How did Serena Williams survive in the lily-white world of women’s tennis?
She survived by being the best. Your race doesn't return the serves, create the shots, score the points. She didn't survive… she changed the women's game forever.
— Elizabeth (@StradaPrivata) September 9, 2018
By being a better athlete than everyone else in the purest of meritocracies. #SavedYouAClick https://t.co/47Voi35AIy
— The H2 (@TheH2) September 9, 2018
Oh please. https://t.co/n8mUdPA0Ys
— Άντζελα (@SouthernGemGal) September 9, 2018
When everything you see is through the lense of color. Some would call this being a racist but Slate calls it “Journalism”
— DeepSouth28 (@DeepSouth28) September 9, 2018
Hey, don’t leave out The Atlantic, which also rushed out a piece.
I am still having feelings about Serena, Naomi, that penalty, and today's match. So I wrote this: https://t.co/9eOVfeAElA
— Gillian B. White (@gillianbwhite) September 9, 2018
Taking a game away from Williams for using the word “thief” during such a high-stakes match is unlikely to do much to quash the notion that a double standard exists between men and women in today’s competitive tennis field. And the stakes of that double standard can feel even higher for women of color. The support for Williams on Saturday—and throughout her career—comes not just from appreciation for her rare talent, but in part because some fans have an enduring memory of how difficult it is for women of color to make it in expensive, mostly white sports.
Did we mention that Osaka (whose mother is Japanese and whose father is Haitian) outplayed Williams?
MSNBC political analyst Zerlina Maxwell warned about the media coverage to come:
Watch the way the media talks about Serena. This is a teachable moment for those of you who don’t realize what it’s like to walk around in this body.
— Zerlina Maxwell (@ZerlinaMaxwell) September 8, 2018
Let’s all call this what it is. A black woman being penalized in a way a white man (ie John McEnroe) never would be. And totally tarnished the win for Osaka, another woman of color.
— Niala (@NialaBoodhoo) September 8, 2018
If even Serena gets overpoliced, on the world stage, with millions at stake, for the world to see, in a Grand Slam final, just think happens to many of us every day. Implicit bias on display? Probably, yup. #USOpen
— Kimberle Crenshaw (@sandylocks) September 8, 2018
And here’s activist Brittany Packnett:
Just say y’all hate Serena cause dominant black women scare the mess outta you and move on.
Go be miserable elsewhere.
— Brittany Packnett (@MsPackyetti) September 8, 2018
The world just got a full taste of black womanhood.
Can’t win squarely. Can’t lose squarely. Can’t be on top at the same time. Can’t be emotional in public.
Naomi and Serena are both queens and we understand.#USOpen https://t.co/KticScowF1
— Brittany Packnett (@MsPackyetti) September 8, 2018
You’ve also witnessed what happens when black women-yes, BLACK-women dare stand up for themselves.
Watch the headlines. Serena rightfully DEFENDED herself but stuff is already saying she “exploded.”
I’ll take Angry Black Woman trope for 1000, Alex. #USOpen
— Brittany Packnett (@MsPackyetti) September 8, 2018
Here’s Color of Change with charges of racism, sexism, and misogyny:
#Serena is the GOAT she's never had to cheat. Mainstream media saying she had a meltdown is typical strategy to invalidate the experiences of Black women & is an obvious deflection from the #USOpen umpire’s racist, sexist, and misogynistic power trip. https://t.co/VFTJUyQqdI
— ColorOfChange.org (@ColorOfChange) September 9, 2018
The white gatekeepers of Tennis have treated Serena Williams appallingly, she has given nothing but her all to that game, her career, her profession. This is so sad, I feel this personally and it just reminds me how hard it is to be a black woman being trampled by the system.
— Black Panther Hoodie (@crazynellz) September 8, 2018
What went down with Serena today is the sad reality of the BS that women – in particular black women – have to deal with from some men. Feel bad for Naomi Osaka having her grand slam shine tarnished.
— Ryan Baker (@RyanBakerMedia) September 8, 2018
Whether it’s Serena or Kamala or Auntie Max…Black women are always cast as “angry”…even as we fight for rights beyond our own. ??♀️ Whatever. We shall persist cause that’s what we do. Black women saving a world that doesn’t thank us. ✊??? #BlackGirlMagic
— Nikkiyo✊? (@nikkiyo) September 9, 2018
1. Ensuring that Serena is the most drug tested player
2.Banning her outfit
3.Cheating accusationsAll the above were part of a psychological warfare that was waged against Serena Williams to kill her spirit
They weaken your spirit to make physical defeat possible#USOpenTennis
— TheBlackProtector (@_BlackProtector) September 8, 2018
NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS
I am proud of Serena for standing up for herself.This moment is important. BLACK WOMEN ARE TIRED! #USOpen2018
— Jasmyn Lawson (@JasmynBeKnowing) September 8, 2018
Or maybe the umpire was just enforcing the rules?
A great bit delusional. Grow up & stop making everything polarised around race, gender or religion. Rules: 1. Her coach instructed, violation goes to player. 2. Breaks racquet, automatic point penalty. 3. Abuses umpire, game penalty. As simple as that. Plus Osaka was unstoppable
— noname (@randomstate) September 8, 2018
She was coached, broke a racquet and verbally abused the umpire. Should she get special treatment just because she’s a superstar? I love her but rules are rules
— Nilsson (@nilssonaem) September 8, 2018
In case people don't know, the rules forbid coaching from the sidelines. For years now, when Serena gets in a jam, she's been *obviously* looking at her coach who gives her hand signals to tell her what to do.
It got so blatant they stopped any pretense of hiding it.
— STEALTH JEFF (@drawandstrike) September 9, 2018
This might have been a nice moment for Osaka.
— Daniel Foster (@DanFosterType) September 8, 2018
Who?
Related:
HACKED? Mahmoud Ahmadinejad defends Serena Williams' now-banned bodysuit at the French Open https://t.co/ySqAiOyiJ7
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) August 28, 2018
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