[Newsbot]

Title: It's shameful what US Open did to Naomi Osaka
Category: Sports
Posted By: N_Fiddledog
Date: 2018-09-09 07:40:04

[N_Fiddledog]

https://nypost.com/2018/09/08/its-shame ... omi-osaka/

[N_Fiddledog]

"Naomi Osaka, 20 years old, just became the first player from Japan to win a Grand Slam.

Yet rather than cheer Osaka, the crowd, the commentators and US Open officials all expressed shock and grief that Serena Williams lost."

$1:

Osaka spent what should have been her victory lap in tears. It had been her childhood dream to make it to the US Open and possibly play against Williams, her idol, in the final.

It’s hard to recall a more unsportsmanlike event.

Here was a young girl who pulled off one of the greatest upsets ever, who fought for every point she earned, ashamed.

At the awards ceremony, Osaka covered her face with her black visor and cried. The crowd booed her. Katrina Adams, chairman and president of the USTA, opened the awards ceremony by denigrating the winner and lionizing Williams — whose ego, if anything, needs piercing.

“Perhaps it’s not the finish we were looking for today,” Adams said, “but Serena, you are a champion of all champions.” Addressing the crowd, Adams added, “This mama is a role model and respected by all.”

That’s not likely the case now, not after the world watched as Serena Williams had a series of epic meltdowns on the court, all sparked when the umpire warned her: No coaching from the side. Her coach was making visible hand signals.

“I don’t cheat to win,” Williams told him. “I’d rather lose.”

She couldn’t let it go, going back multiple times to berate the umpire. At one point she called him a thief.

“You stole a point from me!” she yelled.

After her loss, Williams’s coach admitted to ESPN that he had, in fact, been coaching from the stands, a code violation. The warning was fair.

Everything that followed is on Williams, who is no stranger to tantrums. Most famously, she was tossed from the US Open in 2009 after telling the line judge, “I swear to God I’ll take the f—king ball and shove it down your f—king throat.” John McEnroe was taken aback. Even Williams’s mother Oracene Price couldn’t defend her daughter’s outburst.

SEE ALSO
Serena Williams gestures toward chair umpire Carlos Ramos during her U.S. Open final loss.
Serena has mother of all meltdowns in US Open final loss
“She could have kept her cool,” Price said.

On Saturday, she also could have tried to be gracious in defeat. No matter how her fans try to spin this, Williams was anything but. Upon accepting her finalist award, she gave parsimonious praise to her competitor while telling the crowd she felt their pain.

“Let’s try to make this the best moment we can,” she said in part, “and we’ll get through it . . . let’s not boo anymore. We’re gonna get through this and let’s be positive, so congratulations, Naomi.”

Osaka accepted her trophy while choking back tears. She never smiled. When asked if her childhood dream of playing against Williams matched the reality, she politely sidestepped the question.

“I’m sorry,” Osaka said. “I know that everyone was cheering for her and I’m sorry it had to end like this.”

She turned to Williams. “I’m really grateful I was able to play with you,” Osaka said. “Thank you.” She bowed her head to Williams, and Williams just took it — no reciprocation, no emotion.

Osaka, a young player at the beginning of her career, showed grit, determination and maturity on that court and off.

She earned that trophy. Let’s recall that this wasn’t Osaka’s first victory over Williams — she beat Williams back in March, causing a hiccup in that great comeback narrative.

Osaka earned her moment as victor at the US Open, one that should have been pure joy. If anything was stolen during this match, it was that.

[raydan]

I've never been able to cheer for Serena... something about her that was off for me. Mind you, media has something to do with this when they go on and on about her and can't seem to talk about anything else... same thing with Tiger.

But I can't say anything negative about her talent. She's probably the most dominant player that we've ever seen.

"Shameful" is the best word to describe what happened.

[BeaverFever]

Ugly Americans are sore losers. Nothing new here.

[Coach85]

Terrible display of sportsmanship from Williams...and then pull the gender card? Gross.

You got outplayed. Twice in a row by Osaka. It's not the umpires fault or is it the fault of your gender.

[xerxes]

Shameful is what happened to both women. Osaska, because her excellent win will now forever be tarnished by the antics of the ref.

And Williams because this ref took it upon himself to try and make example of Williams and assuage his male pride after being rebuked by a woman.

You don't even need to look up John McEnroe on Youtube to find examples of the top male players berating refs in much worse a manner and not receive any kind of sanction like Serena did last night.

[CDN_PATRIOT]

Serena Williams showed us what we already knew - that she's a spoiled brat that throws a fit when things don't get her way. It's something she's done over and over in her career.

So you didn't win? You got your ass handed to you. That is LIFE. You don't always come out on top, but that's how the world works! Instead of carrying on like a baby, she could have very easily took the high road, kept her composure, and given credit and kudos to the better woman. Instead, she took the low road, and I'm sick of her and her crap.

Osaka deserved the win, and was a class act through and through.

-J.

[Coach85]

xerxes xerxes:

Shameful is what happened to both women. Osaska, because her excellent win will now forever be tarnished by the antics of the ref.

And Williams because this ref took it upon himself to try and make example of Williams and assuage his male pride after being rebuked by a woman.

You don't even need to look up John McEnroe on Youtube to find examples of the top male players berating refs in much worse a manner and not receive any kind of sanction like Serena did last night.

Total nonsense.

You're comparing the actions of a man 20-25 years ago to a women today? Apples and oranges.

This isn't the first time she lost her shit on an umpire, insulting them both.

She lied. She got coaching. Her coach admitted just as much. That's a violation and she ripped into the ump and nothing was said. Then, she slammed her racket on the ground. Another violation. Then she decided to rip into the umpire again.

She deserved what she got. Not because she's a woman or black but because she's a poor sport that committed numerous violations.

[raydan]

She was going to lose that match anyways, even without what the ump did. The only reason she blew up is because she knew she wasn't going to win.

[Coach85]

And if sexism and a double standard exists, why hasn't she said anything before? Surely it's a big problem, as she suggests during her tantrum.

Seems it's only a problem when she's losing and she feels she can treat people like shit.

[xerxes]

I wasn't actually. I said you can find modern examples of top level players laying into refs and not getting any reprimand without even resorting to referencing McEnroe.

See Novak Djokovic berate this same ref last year and not get any additional punishment.

[BRAH]

__________________

Disappointing to watch this because she's now a spoiled brat who played the mother, woman card and deserved to lose.

[N_Fiddledog]

I don't know if this one can be made racial.

Naomi Osaka is half Haitian:

[xerxes]

MeganC MeganC:

Serena did not have a right to win the game just because she's black. And no one wants to say this but everyone knows it's true!

Uh, no one is saying that. They’re just saying she ought to have been treated fairly.