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Sports world reacts to Serena Williams' meltdown and game penalty in U.S. Open finals

jack baer
Staff writer
People had plenty to say about Serena Williams’ behavior at the U.S. Open. (AP Photo)
People had plenty to say about Serena Williams’ behavior at the U.S. Open. (AP Photo)

A surreal scene enveloped the U.S. Open finals on Saturday, as an outburst from Serena Williams and a questionable game penalty from a chair umpire were the talk of the tennis world rather than Naomi Osaka’s first Grand Slam title.

First, Williams was issued a warning from chair umpire Carlos Ramos for a coaching violation, which Williams swore was illegitimate. She would receive another warning for a coaching violation six games later. Williams again disputed the violation, then smashed her racket in frustration.

Down 4-3 in the second set and already having lost the first set 6-2, Williams received a third violation for verbal abuse against the chair umpire and a shocking game penalty, all but putting the match away for Osaka. A tearful Williams chalked the penalty up to being targeted for her gender during a discussion with U.S. Open officials.

Twitter reacts to Serena Williams’ meltdown

You can bet plenty of active and former tennis players also had opinions on Williams’ penalty and the umpire’s conduct, with a majority critical of the decision.

Not everyone was on Williams’ side, however.

Despite all the confusion and frustration, Williams received widespread praise for how she handled Osaka’s trophy ceremony. Williams did her best to keep the focus on Osaka during an uncomfortable situation in which the U.S. Open crowd seemed more angry about the match than happy for Osaka.

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