Geelong Advertiser

Serena, you were wrong, says Martina

-

TENNIS legend Martina Navratilov­a says Serena Williams was wrong in her outburst at the US Open women’s finals even though she agreed there is a double standard.

Writing in an opinion article for the New York Times, the 61-yearold 18-time Grand Slam singles champion said a higher standard needed to be observed when Williams called chair umpire Carlos Ramos a “thief” and was penalised a key game in the second set.

“We cannot measure ourselves by what we think we should also be able to get away with,” Navratilov­a wrote. “In fact, this is the sort of behaviour that no one should be engaging in on the court.”

Williams, who was thwarted in her bid for a record-tying 24th Slam singles crown in losing to Japan’s Naomi Osaka, said she was punished for saying something where men have said far worse without incurring such a penalty.

“Serena Williams has part of it right. There is a huge double standard for women when it comes to how bad behaviour is punished — and not just in tennis,” Navratilov­a said.

“But in her protests … she also got part of it wrong. I don’t believe it’s a good idea to apply a standard of, ‘If men can get away with it, women should be able to, too’.

“Rather, I think the question we have to ask ourselves is this: What is the right way to behave to honour our sport and to respect our opponents?”

Williams was issued a warning for coaching, something her coach sitting in the stands, Patrick Mouratoglo­u, admitted to doing.

Williams was unhappy at the violation call and complained to Ramos she hadn’t taken any signals. She later smashed her racquet, resulting in a code violation and a point deduction, which she argued over with Ramos.

“Ramos, effectivel­y, had no choice but to dock her a point,” Navratilov­a said. “It was here that Ms Williams really started to lose the plot. She and Mr Ramos were, in effect, talking past each other.

“She was insisting that she doesn’t cheat — completely believable, but besides the point — while he was making a call over which he, at that point, had little discretion.”

Matters escalated and Williams called Ramos a “thief,” incurring the crucial game penalty.

“It’s difficult to know, and debatable, whether Ms Williams could have gotten away with calling the umpire a thief if she were a male player,” Navratilov­a wrote.

“But to focus on that, I think, is missing the point. If, in fact, the guys are treated with a different measuring stick for the same transgress­ions, this needs to be thoroughly examined and must be fixed.”

 ?? Pictures: GETTY, AFP ?? Serena Williams during her final against Naomi Osaka where she took aim at chair umpire Carlos Ramos (above); and (left) Martina Navratilov­a.
Pictures: GETTY, AFP Serena Williams during her final against Naomi Osaka where she took aim at chair umpire Carlos Ramos (above); and (left) Martina Navratilov­a.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Australia