The 2018 US Open Women’s final was eventful, to say the least. From accusations of coaching to cries of sexism, the drama in this grand slam finals between tennis legend Serena Williams and the immensely talented Naomi Osaka. But in all this drama, there was one fact that was lost or not celebrated enough. Naomi Osaka became the first Japanese woman to win a grand slam final. The 20-year-old made history and won fair and square, in spite of the feud, tension and drama.
Osaka won the US Open final 6-2, 6-4, beating the 23-time grand slam champion, by delivering her best performance, but had to settle for a victory speech of “I know everyone was cheering for her, I’m sorry it had to end like this. Thank you for watching the match.” The 20-year-old has faced Williams twice, this year and won both times. This statistics stands testament to her skills and proves that she has earned the title with her hard work.
Source: CNN International
However, her historic win, which should have been celebrated by lovers of the sport, was unfortunately overshadowed by the infamous controversy of sexism and the tuff between Williams and the chair umpire Carlos Ramos. Carlos warned Williams, as her long-term coach, Patrick Mouratoglou was signaling from the stands. Coaching during a match is not allowed in tennis, and Mouratoglou issued a statement saying he was indeed signaling Williams, though he was not sure if Williams saw.
Ramos’ warning was therefore completely justified, however, what followed was heated arguments between Williams and the umpire, including, what was labeled as abuse. But in all this drama, which has already been overly reported, Osaka’s victory and its importance was lost. Osaka’s victory invited boos from the entire crowd, and the young professional, who should have been happy about beating her idol to win a historic title, was left apologising to the crowd.
Source: ABC News
A woman having to apologise for winning fairly, is the greatest tale of sexism that could ever be told. A 20-year-old being booed on one of her biggest achievements in sports, clearly shows the lack of sportsmanship in fans. And the first grand slam victory by a Japanese woman being overshadowed, marks a sad story in the history of tennis. While winning and losing is a part of every game, beating star like Williams needs to be appreciated. So that is what I wish to do with this article, congratulate Naomi Osaka for her phenomenal win. Not many could have handled the pressure of this match and maintained composure the way Osaka did.
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By: Naina
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