Naomi Osaka became the first Japanese player to win a Grand Slam professional tennis event, but you wouldn’t know it by the sad face she displayed at the awards ceremony after winning the US Open Women’s final Saturday afternoon.
Rather than herald the 20-year-old Osaka, the Flushing Meadow crowd, the ESPN commentators and US Open officials all expressed shock and blatant disdain that the pre-tournament favorite, Serena Williams, ended up losing to the young upstart — almost like Williams winning the title was a pre-ordained rite.
Those weren't tears of joy running down the cheeks of the rising star Osaka after she defeated Williams in two sets, 6-2, 6-4, but tears of embarrassment for somehow being shamed by everyone to feel she was a villain of sorts, an interloper who literally stole a victory from Williams.
Osaka, who became interested in tennis a couple of lobs away on nearby Long Island as a youngster, spent what should have been a sort of homecoming celebration hiding her face with a black visor instead. It had been her childhood dream to make it to the US Open and possibly play against Williams, her idol, in the finals. She finally did — and splendidly.
And now her shining moment was turned into a disgusting display of partisanship, self-entitlement and ignorance by the real outsiders.
Here was a young woman who pulled off one of the greatest tennis upsets ever and beat some of the best women players in the world now being shamed to tears.
What a scene to start the trophy presentation: boos, Osaka in tears behind her visor, Serena puts her arm around her. pic.twitter.com/nviG83cjJR— Nick Zaccardi (@nzaccardi) September 8, 2018
At the awards ceremony, Osaka covered her face and cried. She never really smiled once. The crowd cheered a smirking Williams and booed the contrite Osaka. Katrina Adams, chairman and president of the USTA, opened the awards ceremony by diminishing Osaka’s well deserved win; basically apologizing to the audience for Osaka's amazing victory.
“Perhaps it’s not the finish we were looking for today,” Adams said, “but Serena, you are a champion of all champions.” And as the egotistical Williams got in front of Osaka, Adams added, “This mama is a role model and respected by all.”
The disaster of the awards ceremony was all set in motion earlier after Williams had a series of silly tantrums on the court after umpire Carlos Ramos warned her: No coaching from the side. Her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, was making visible hand signals from the stands.
Was this the most controversial #USOpen final ever? We look back on @serenawilliams's implosion in New York #Offsiders pic.twitter.com/2WDZZNjy4b— Offsiders ABC (@OffsidersABC) September 9, 2018
“I don’t cheat to win,” Williams told the umpire. “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 Williams' loss, Mouratoglou admitted to ESPN that he had, in fact, been coaching from his courtside seat, a code violation, thus proving the warning was a fair assessment.
Even after the loss, Williams was anything but gracious. Upon accepting her finalist award, she hogged the stage and told the partisan crowd she felt their pain at her loss. Williams barely mentioned her young female competitor and only congratulated Osaka with a backhand remark that didn't fail to include Williams herself.
“Let’s try to make this the best moment we can,” she said, “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.”
Serena’s fans and apologists immediately praised this egotistical, self-promoting speech as some kind of contrition and a symbol of the giving and cuddly human being she is purported to be. Williams sure wasn't today.
Osaka, meanwhile, accepted her trophy with what must have been the most sullen face a Grand Slam winner ever had. When asked if her lifelong dream of playing against Williams lived up to her expectations, the shy Osaka politely apologized for winning.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I know that everyone was cheering for her and I’m sorry it had to end like this.”
Osaka then turned to her beaten opponent who was selfishly basking in the adoration of everyone.
“I’m really grateful I was able to play with you,” Osaka said. “Thank you.” She then bowed her head to the emotionless Williams.
At the post match press conference, Williams played the blame game, cited the men’s division and how they get away with the same violations, then she talked about women’s rights like any of it had to do with her epic meltdown.
“You definitely can’t go back in time but I can’t sit here and say I wouldn’t say he’s [Ramos] a thief because I thought he took a game from me,” Williams said.
“I’ve seen other men call other umpires several things and I’m here fighting for women’s rights and for women’s equality and for all kinds of stuff, and 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.”
It is not readily known if a man ever said the word thief to an umpire, so that's up for debate.
It is not readily known if a man ever said the word thief to an umpire, so that's up for debate.
Like many other young tournament players, Osaka had followed Williams career with a fire in her eyes, hoping for the day she could actually play against the game's greatest female player on a big stage. She finally did — and won convincingly.
In the future, Osaka will look back at this single afternoon as a life lesson in tennis, sportsmanship and humility — and, hopefully, do the opposite of almost everything Serena Williams did today.
In the future, Osaka will look back at this single afternoon as a life lesson in tennis, sportsmanship and humility — and, hopefully, do the opposite of almost everything Serena Williams did today.