NAOMI OSAKA CONQUERS SERENA WILLIAMS FOR FIRST SLAM TITLE AT THE 2018 U.S. OPEN IN CONTROVERSIAL, DRAMATIC FINAL

Written by: Staff on 8th September 2018

NAOMI OSAKA CONQUERS SERENA WILLIAMS FOR FIRST SLAM TITLE AT THE 2018 U.S. OPEN IN CONTROVERSIAL, DRAMATIC FINAL

epa07007097 Naomi Osaka of Japan holds up the championship trophy after defeating Serena Williams of the US in the women's final on the thirteenth day of the US Open Tennis Championships the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 08 September 2018. The US Open runs from 27 August through 09 September. EPA-EFE/JOHN G. MABANGLO |

Naomi Osaka of Japan holds up the championship trophy after defeating Serena Williams of the US in the women’s final on the thirteenth day of the US Open Tennis Championships the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 08 September 2018. The US Open runs from 27 August through 09 September. EPA-EFE/JOHN G. MABANGLO

By: Thomas Cluck

In one of the most dramatic and shocking finals in tennis memory, 20 year-old Japanese star Naomi Osaka took down the biggest name and possibly greatest of all-time Serena Williams 6-2, 6-4 for her maiden major title.

On the sport’s biggest stage at the U.S. Open in New York City, the 20th-seeded Osaka played a masterful match of power and poise to dethrone the 23-time Grand Slam champion in a match that saw as much controversy as quality and competition, with code violations and arguments with chair umpire Carlos Ramos from Williams dominating the second set of the match, maring this grand final occasion for a deserved champion in Osaka.

Serena Williams of the US gestures towards chair umpire Carlos Ramos (R) after he warned her for coaching as she played Naomi Osaka of Japan during the women’s final on the thirteenth day of the US Open Tennis Championships the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 08 September 2018. The US Open runs from 27 August through 09 September. EPA-EFE/JOHN G. MABANGLO

Early into the second set the chair umpire Ramos interjected, ruling that due to Williams’ coach Patrick Mouratoglou coaching from the player’s box with hand motions and signals, the American should be issued a code violation for coaching. After a lengthy argument with the chair umpire, inserting she had never cheated in her career, Williams later went on to play a poor game, dropping serve and immediately breaking her racquet, bringing another code violation, this time resulting in a point penalty.

The 37 year-old Williams seemed unaware of the point penalty inside a raucous Arthur Ashe Stadium, learning of it as the game began, leading to another lengthy argument with Ramos. On the ensuing changeover, the American veteran and legend was irate with the call, demanding an apology and calling the umpire a “thief” for “stealing” the point from her. This ultimately issued another violation, this time resulting in a game penalty, leaving Osaka up 5-3 and Williams a game from losing the match.

“He [Ramos] took a point from me. He alleged that I was cheating, and I wasn’t cheating. Then I had a good conversation with him. I said, Listen, you know my character. You know me really well. Like you know that I don’t even call for oncourt coach. I don’t even do that,” said Williams.

After an extended argument with the umpire over several calls Williams felt were wrong, she talked with tournament referee and supervisor Brian Early and Donna Kelso, however the ruling was final and the American had to try and stay in the match.

Ultimately however, it was Osaka, the big-hitting 20 year-old Japanese-American with a Haitian father who’s lived all her life in America, moment to savor, holding her nerve with poise throughout to close out the signature win 6-2, 6-4 for her first career Grand Slam title and only her second title ever after her triumph earlier this season in Indian Wells.

“This is her moment. Stop booing because she doesn’t deserve it. I don’t deserve it. The people on the tennis court didn’t deserve it. They were all here to see tennis. She played an amazing match. She deserved credit, she deserved to win. At the end of the day, that’s what it was,” assessed Williams.

By Serena saying this to the crowd she was able to be a great ambassador and diffuse an angry crowd •

Bravo SERENA. You shined like the G.O.A.T. You are.

In the opening set it was all about the 20th-seeded Osaka’s power and placement, settling in and eventually dominating proceedings in the first, never dropping serve along the way to take it 6-2.

With Williams slightly flustered, but still fighting and playing well, Osaka had to raise her own level and fend off the trademark Serena fightback. Fightback Williams did, overpowering the 20 year-old who looked up to and idolized Serena her entire life to break for a 3-1 lead in the second set.

However, amidst all the drama between Serena and the chair umpire and on the grandest stage in tennis, Osaka maintained her laser-like focus, digging, scrapping, and clawing her way through a return game to break the mighty Williams serve back and get it to 3-2.

Two games later more bold and powerful hitting from Osaka earned her the go-ahead break, going up 4-3 before the situation between Williams and the chair umpire truly took a turn for the worse.

Osaka was given the next game to go up 5-3 as a result of the game penalty issued to Williams, but Serena’s fighting spirit wasn’t dampened as she held to love to make it 5-4 and force the 20 year-old and 20th seed to serve the match out for her maiden Grand Slam title. ( the crowd had no idea what was going on )

Naomi Osaka of Japan hits a return to Serena Williams of the US during the women’s final on the thirteenth day of the US Open Tennis Championships the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 08 September 2018. The US Open runs from 27 August through 09 September. EPA-EFE/JOHN G. MABANGLO

With the pressure of the moment, a nation in Japan seeking its first ever Grand Slam champion, and a lifetime of work and admiration of her opponent upon her still very young shoulders, Osaka played with the bold, powerful shot-making she’s always had, the ever-improving mental strength and focus, and the new defense and resiliency to close the dramatic final out on an unreturned serve, knocking off Williams 6-2, 6-4 to claim the U.S. Open title.

It was a bittersweet moment for Osaka, with the heavily pro-Serena American crowd furious and booing at the situation, with tensions still flying high between Williams and the chair umpire, and a new major champion hoping to soak up her moment. But it shouldn’t have been. And at the end of the match at the net SERENA was wonderful. She greeted Naomi with open arms and a warm embrace.

Naomi Osaka earned this moment, this match, this championship with her poised performance, her bold big-hitting, and her resilient focus, and no controversy between Williams and the chair umpire should come in the way of this 20 year-old Japanese star’s rightful moment.

Osaka played the better match, showed calm and strength well beyond her years during the many controversies of the second set, and ultimately she earned the win by truly beating Serena, a task and accomplishment so rare in this sport.

For Williams, it will be a bitter pill to swallow, fighting so hard to return from the birth of her first child just one year ago to make finals at Wimbledon and here in New York, but she’ll have to wait once more to try and make history by tying Margaret Court with the most Grand Slam titles all-time at 24. Perhaps she’ll do it in Court’s home country of Australia in 2019?

Either way, Serena has much to be proud of her in work and fight both on and off the court, and also much to wish she handled differently in her dealings with the chair umpire and tournament officials. While Williams was gracious and classy in defeat to her opponent, some of the drama and anger came from Serena, who’s inability to let the unfair initial coaching violation go cost her her composure and her ability to put up a true fightback in the match.

“I felt at one point bad because I’m crying and she’s crying. You know, she just won. I’m not sure if they were happy tears or they were just sad tears because of the moment. I felt like, Wow, this isn’t how I felt when I won my first Grand Slam. I was like, Wow, I definitely don’t want her to feel like that,” explained a composed and kind and Gracious Serena in her post-match press conference.

Much will be argued and debated over the coming days and week, but chair umpire Carlos Ramos’ decision to issue Williams with a violation for a very mundane, routine gesture from her coach was questionable, especially given how many coaches on tour motion and speak to their players from the box constantly.

Personally, a decision to legalize coaching from the box due to its ubiquitous nature in the sport should be considered, and it would be applauded by many. However one may feel about on-court coaching on the WTA, the spread of illegal in-match coaching from the box necessitates a closer look at the benefits of just allowing it. Everyone does it already.

That being said and excused, Williams’ continued arguing and asking for the chair umpire to say he was sorry to her. It began with her breaking of the racquet no doubt necessitated a code violation, this time just doubling as a point penalty.

Many will differ in opinion on this, but Serena continuing to argue with Ramos put her on some major thin ice and while simply calling the umpire a thief does not necessitate another code violation.

The bigger issue here is in how Ramos handled the final claim he stole a point from Serena and being called a thief, something many male players have done far worse than, yet have never been questioned for or penalized.

“I can’t sit here and say I wouldn’t say he’s a thief, because I thought he took a game from me. But I’ve seen other men call other umpires several things,” commented Williams.

“I’m here fighting for women’s rights and for women’s equality and for all kinds of stuff. For me to say ‘thief’ and for him to take a game, it made me feel like it was a sexist remark. He’s never taken a game from a man because they said ‘thief’.”

Tennis and the umpiring system has some major work and looking into to do as to how the rules are applied by each umpire and to each gender, and a consistency in fairness in it all is something the sport must strive for, something that at times lacked today. Personally would have liked to have ️maybe seen a female umpire in the chair ? Donna ️maybe should have been out there sooner ? Brian early what were you waiting for?

“There are matters that need to be looked into that took place during the match. For tonight, it is time to celebrate these two amazing players, both of whom have great integrity. Naomi is a deserving champion and Serena at all times plays with class and makes us proud,” the WTA said in a statement following the match.

All that said and all the ensuing discussion given the controversy between Williams and the umpire, let it not be forgotten that this is Naomi Osaka’s moment in the spotlight to savor after a lifetime of hard work. She’s earned it. Enjoy it. Can hardly wait to see what fireworks might still be in store for the men’s finals.