Serena Williams receives game penalty after outburst at umpire as Osaka takes US Open

Naomi Osaka stormed to a sensational, turbulent US Open final win last night when she beat Serena Williams after the 36 year-old American totally lost her head in a dramatic championship match.

The 20 year-old became the first ever Japanese Grand Slam singles champion after winning 6-2 6-4 but the contest will be remembered for the total meltdown of her opponent, whose abuse of umpire Carlos Ramos saw her – correctly – docked a game and flirt with disqualification.

Through all the chaos Osaka kept her nerve, and served it out with remarkable sangfroid despite the mayhem in the Arthur Ashe Stadium. Her triumph was met with a chorus of boos, even if not directed at her. 

Serena Williams (left) received a game penalty after calling the umpire ‘a thief’, which was deemed verbal abuse

Williams hits out after being handed a coaching violation and calls umpire ‘a thief’ for ‘stealing’ a point away from her

Williams lost her cool midway through the second set after two code violations that ultimately cost her a game

Williams also received a violation for breaking her racket on the court after serving two double faults back to back

Williams threw her racket at the ground in anger before demanding the umpire apologise for insinuating she cheated

The whole incident had been reminiscent of Williams’s loss of control on the same arena when she threatened to ram a ball down a line judge’s throat in 2009.

The trouble started when her coach was called for giving hand signals illegally in the first set, and then spiralled when she slammed her racket into the ground when broken back for 3-2 in the second, after which she was given a point penalty.

She repeatedly insulted the umpire, calling him a liar and a thief and demanding an apology. He duly docked her a game after the third code violation, leaving her at 3-5, from which she could not recover.

It detracted from a magnificent performance from the American-raised Japanese player, and made for an embarrassing trophy handover, at which Williams was described as a ‘role model’. Not in this particular case she wasn’t.

Ramos, a highly experienced official, had little alternative, given the abuse that was being thrown his way from Williams, who also angrily pointed her finger at him. 

Naomi Osaka wins the US Open in straight sets after beating Serena Williams 6-2 6-4 at Flushing Meadows

Osaka was left in tears for the wrong reasons after Williams stole the show with angry outburst at the umpire

Osaka lowered her cap prior to post-match interviews as she cried with the crowd booing as Williams tried to console her

Williams had to ask the crowd to stop booing so that the 20-year-old Osaka could try to enjoy her first Grand Slam title

Osaka poses with her trophy after an emotional night for both her and Williams but in the end she was deserved winner

‘I don’t cheat, I would rather lose,’ she had initially said, constantly demanding an apology and also remonstrating that she had a daughter as if that was relevant. The thief accusations started coming at 2-3 down in the second as she started riding the violation escalator in earnest.

Boos rang out around the stadium – most seemingly in sympathy with her – as she brought gender into the argument, now remonstrating with tournament Referee Brian Earley, who she summoned to the court.

‘You’ll never sit on a court with me as long as you live!’ was another threat to the umpire, who was only following long established procedures.

Williams had herself broken for 3-1 in the second, firing herself up after Ramos spotted gesticulations from Patrick Mouratoglou. 

He later embarrassed himself by blaming the umpire for wanting to get too involved, while his player embarked on a rant about sexism in her post-match press conference, despite admitting Ramos has been a ‘great umpire’ in her previous matches. 

Williams picks up her racket after venting her frustration with her serves and the way the game was going

Williams demands the umpire Carlos Ramos apologises for penalising her for ‘cheating’ following coaching violation

Williams rant continued throughout the second set as she got more and more incensed with things going against her

Williams tries to explain her view to referee Brian Earley after umpire decideds to dock her a game for verbal abuse

‘He alleged that I was cheating, and I wasn’t cheating,’ she said. ‘ 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’.

‘I’m going to continue to fight for women and to fight for us. The fact that I have to go through this is just an example for the next person that has emotions, and that want to express themselves, and want to be a strong woman. 

‘They’re going to be allowed to do that because of today. Maybe it didn’t work out for me, but it’s going to work out for the next person.’

Yet as more sane and knowledgeable voices within the game concurred via social media, she did not really have a leg to stand on.

Amid an increasingly febrile atmosphere Osaka was momentarily rocked when broken for 3-1 in the second set but her composure was admirable throughout.

Williams’s behaviour is what the contest will be remembered for which is unfortunate for the world number nineteen, who was visibly upset on the podium after beating her childhood idol – even though she had just received a cheque for $3.8 million.

She had been nerveless from the start, and bravely held her nerve in a totally alien situation. History ought to record that she was a completely worthy winner.

How Serena’s furious confrontation with the US Open umpire unfolded

• Serena Williams was handed a code violation when her coach Patrick Mouratoglou appeared to make a gesture to her, in what the umpire said was off-court coaching.

• Serena told the umpire ‘I don’t cheat’ before the game continued.

• A few games later Williams smashed a racket after losing a game to go 4-3 behind. This led to a second code violation and her opponent was given a point. Williams then went on a bizarre rant, in which she called umpire Carlos Ramos ‘a thief’. You are a liar. You will never be on a court of mine as long as you live. When are you going to give me my apology. Say you are sorry,’ she screamed. 

• This resulted in another code violation and her opponent, Naomi Osaka, was awarded a game. 

• Williams called for the tournament referee as she cried on court. No further action was taken and the referee left the court.

• Williams went on to lose the game 2-6, 4-6, and continued to stew on court during the prize ceremony to heckles from the crowd.   

• An on-court interviewer had to order the crowd to stop booing until Williams regained her composure. She then also called for the jeering to stop and congratulated her opponent.

Osaka became the first person from Japan to win a Grand Slam after great tournament

Osaka was winning the match before Williams’ outburst after taking the first set 6-2

Osaka makes a return to Williams during the singles final match at Flushing Meadows

Osaka celebrates a point on her way to her first Grand Slam victory at 20 years old

Williams and Osaka go head-to-head at Flushing Meadows before things got heated

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