With tennis in its off-season, the X community on social media has different ways to keep themselves engaged. Recently, fans on X were discussing their favorite tennis controversies of all-time. Top tennis stars like Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic and Naomi Osaka have been at the thick of these controversies. And Serena Williams took the top spot.
According to most fans, Serena Williams’ behavior after losing to Naomi Osaka was the most controversial moment. A 20-year-old Osaka defeated Williams in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4 to win the US Open final in 2018. However, it was the Serena Williams controversy that stole the show.
The American superstar got into frequent arguments with the umpires. Williams was penalised for getting into an confrontation with the umpire. The American then smashed her racquet resulting in more penalty. During the next changeover, Williams got into another argument with the umpire, who in turn, issued the game penalty for “verbal abuse.”
This Williams rant stole the limelight off Naomi Osaka, who had won her first Grand Slam title. The crowd who were firmly behind Serena Williams, started booing after the match. Williams soon put her arm over Osaka and asked the crowd to appreciate the US Open champion.
In an emotionally charged trophy presentation, Williams thanked the crowd for their constant support and told them to cheer for Osaka. Meanwhile, a shy Osaka thanked her parents and coaches after winning her first Grand Slam title. The Japanese born star admitted that Williams was her idol growing up and beating her was an unbelievable feeling.
“Even when I was a little kid, I always dreamed that I would play Serena in a final of a Grand Slam, I shouldn’t really think of her as, like, my idol. I should just try to play her as an opponent. It was always my dream to play Serena in the US Open finals so I’m really glad I was able to do that.”
Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams share a great chemistry
Although Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams shared a stage for a controversial moment in 2018, the duo get along well. Osaka has often hailed Williams as her idol growing up. Before the Australian Open, in January 2021, Osaka and Williams posted some pictures from their exhibition match to Instagram. Osaka captioned the picture as “Yesterday with the queen,” with a red heart and crown emoji. Williams replied “Such a fun time!!” acknowledging the picture.
Naomi Osaka is widely regarded as the successor to Serena Williams. Osaka is now aiming for a comeback in tennis after taking a pregnancy break. The Japanese born star will return to the WTA Tour in 2024 and hope to win more titles. Although they shared a controversial moment together, Williams and Osaka have done well to put aside their differences to have a good equation today.
