Speaking about Saturday’s controversial US Open final, Billie Jean King, the tennis legend and equal rights advocate, told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour that Serena Williams was “out of line,” but umpire Carlos Ramos aggravated the situation.
“Serena was out of line, there’s no question, no one’s saying she was a good sport,” King said. “The point is he [Ramos] aggravated the situation.”
What was supposed to be a fairy-tale matchup for Japan’s Naomi Osaka and the player she idolizes spun out of control Saturday after Williams was handed code violations that she described as unfair.
It started when chair umpire Carlos Ramos warned Williams for receiving coaching, and eventually ended up with accusations of sexism in the aftermath. Williams, furious over the first call, approached the net and told Ramos: “I don’t cheat. I’d rather lose.” The match unraveled after that. Read more