Video | Serena Williams accuses referee of 'stealing' in US Open final defeat

SportsCafe Desk

BySportsCafe Desk, SportsCafe Editor

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23-time grand slam winner Serena Williams is renowned for her etiquette on the tennis court but appeared to lose her calm during her loss against Japan's Naomi Osaka. Williams claimed that she was robbed of a point from umpire Carlos Ramos, who had to slap a one-game penalty on her for verbal abuse.

It was an eventful end to the 2018 US Open as former World Number one, Serena Williams, fell to a 6-2, 6-4 in New York by Japan’s Naomi Osaka in the finals of the tournament. In doing so, Osaka became the first Japanese individual to win a grand slam singles title. But the night was marred by controversy as Williams got into a fiery debate with the chair umpire, Carlos Ramos, during the match.

Williams got into a tiff with Ramos, that led to stretch a minor infraction into a nasty controversy. It all began in the second set's 2nd game when Osaka was leading 40:15. Serena was given her first court violation as Ramos issued a warning over “coaching,” from French coach - Patrick Mouratoglou, who was seated in the grandstand.

Williams earned a second court violation and she was handed a point penalty when she hit a backhand down the line on the net and smashed her racquet while she was trailing  3-2 in the second set.

"I don't cheat. I'd rather lose. Every time I play here I have problems. You stole a point from me and you are a thief," Williams said during a changeover at 3-4.

The whole feud between the two reached new height when Williams was handed a one-game penalty, after what Ramos deemed to be a verbal abuse towards him. The six-time USA grand slam winner also pleaded her case to tournament referee Brian Earley and supervisor Donna Kelso, as she demanded the presence of the officials on the court.

"There are men out there that do a lot worse, but because I'm a woman, you're going to take this away from me? That is not right. I've seen other men call other umpires several things. 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.' For me, it blows my mind. But I'm going to continue to fight for women," said Williams in an interview post the final.

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