Has tHere ever been a more spectacularly fraught US Open final as the one between Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka? The tennis-watching world gaped as umpire Carlos Ramos penalised Williams, first for a violation of rules concerning unsanctioned coaching, before docking her a point for throwing her racket. Finally, as tensions escalated, he called a third violation – essentially awarding the game to Osaka. After being accused of cheating, which she insists she didn’t, Williams called him a ‘thief ’ and, once the episode concluded, the tennis player was fined $4,000 for the coaching violation, $3,000 for racket abuse and, in the largest fine levied so far in a US Open, $10,000 for ‘verbal abuse.’
‘Ramos helped derail a championship match,’ says former tennis star Pam Shriver, by not communicating…
