NEW YORK — Naomi Osaka made history on Saturday evening, becoming the first player born in Japan to win a Grand Slam title.
The 20-year old was calm, cool and collected and played brilliantly in her first-ever Grand Slam final, beating 23-time major champion Serena Williams, 6-2, 6-4, on the biggest of stages before a packed house in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Unfortunately for Osaka, the match will largely be remembered for a series of penalties given to Williams by umpire Carlos Ramos, and the resultant outbursts that Serena delivered in his direction as he gave her a warning for illegal coaching, a point penalty for smashing her racket and ultimately a game penalty for calling him “a thief.
It was an extraordinary series of events that saw Serena holding back tears as she shouted at Ramos and tournament referee Brian Earley, and later saw Osaka crying as she accepted the trophy.
As the two players were presented with their trophies after the match, a cascade of boos rained down from an angry crowd upset with the way the match unfolded.
“I don’t want to be rude, I don’t want to do questions,” Williams said on court. “I just want to tell you guys, she played well and this is her first Grand Slam. But I know you guys are here rooting and I was rooting, too. And let’s make this the best moment we can.”
“Let’s not boo anymore. We’re going to get through this and let’s be positive. Congratulations, Naomi. No more booing. It’s been a tough year for me but thanks to you so much.”
Osaka, who is now 2-0 against arguably the GOAT of women’s tennis, cried as she was presented with the trophy and winner’s check for $3.8 million. She is the eighth different woman in the last eight majors to win a Slam title.
“It was always my dream to play Serena in the US Open final so I’m really glad I was able to do that and I’m really grateful I was able to do that,” she said, before bowing in Serena’s direction. “Thank you.”
Williams was bidding to tie Margaret Court with her 24th career Grand Slam title, but has now lost in both the Wimbledon and US Open finals in 2018. She will soon turn 37 and will have to wait until 2019 to tie Court.
Osaka used concussive hitting from the baseline with sharp angles and tremendous movement to take charge and hand Williams an early-double break for a 4-1 lead. She closed out the first set at 6-2 with a 117-mph service winner. The set was over in just 33 minutes.
That did not bode well for Williams, who is now 2-8 in Grand Slam finals after losing the first set. Osaka, meantime, is 32-0 this year after winning the first set.
The match began to turn when Williams got a warning for illegal coaching from her coach Patrick Morataglou in the second game of the second set. He appeared to be telling her to come to the net more.
“I don’t cheat to win. I’d rather lose.” Serena to the chair umpire after she received a coaching violation…
But it was blatant coaching whether she saw it or not is irrelevant
Great call by Carlos Ramos #USOpen pic.twitter.com/NJnL6tNXk1— Bryce Parker (@bryce_parker26) September 8, 2018
Williams approached the chair and told Ramos she wasn’t getting coaching. “I don’t cheat to win, I’d rather lose,” she told Ramos.
“It’s not something I do,” she also said to Ramos on the crossover.
But Morataglou told ESPN’s Pam Shriver after the match he was in fact coaching. He said Osaka’s coach, Sasha Bejin, also a former hitting partner of Serena, was also coaching.
“I’m honest, I was coaching,” he said. “I was like 100 percent of the coaches on 100 percent of the matches. Sasha was coaching too.”
Tensions escalated during the crossover when Williams continued to berate Ramos. He then gave her a point penalty for racket abuse in the seventh game of the set, when it was 3-all.
Finally, Ramos gave Williams a game penalty to make it 5-3 for verbal abuse.
“You’re a thief, you stole a game from me,” Williams said. “I need the referee.” Earley then came out and the fireworks continued.
“Because I’m a woman you’re going to take this away from me, that’s not right,” she told him. “Every single year that I play, it’s just not right.”
The bottom line is that Osaka won her first Grand Slam but it will be overshadowed by what happened with Williams.
“I know that everyone was cheering for her and I’m sorry it had to end like this,” Osaka said crying. “I just want to say thank you for watching the match, thank you.”
