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Good coaches and parents will teach their athletes that sportsmanship, GOOD sportsmanship, is a necessary and integral part of their chosen sport. If the athlete can’t accept criticism, penalties, or defeat graciously, then it highlights a lack of character. Serena Williams demonstrated major unsportsmanlike conduct at yesterday’s Grand Slam finale.
Sportsmanship is defined thusly:
Sportsmanship is an aspiration or ethos that a sport or activity will be enjoyed for its own sake, with proper consideration for fairness, ethics, respect, and a sense of fellowship with one’s competitors.
In fact, good sportsmanship also involves how you treat the officials; in this case Carlos Ramos.
Was his initial penalty call regarding Serena’s coach right or wrong? You know what? IT. DOESN’T. MATTER. He made the call. Period.
Slamming her tennis racket onto the court in anger is definitely against the rules. So she was penalized. And, instead of handling the penalty gracefully, sucking it up and focusing on THE GAME, she threw a tantrum.
If she had wanted to object, she should have CALMLY walked up to the umpire and held a QUIET discussion. But instead, she screamed and yelled at him so everyone could hear.
Which led to the entire audience taking sides and mostly booing Ramos.
Serena has demanded an apology from him. He shouldn’t apologize for doing his job the best he knew how.
In the vocabulary of professional tennis umpires, matches like this even have a name. We call them “welcome to the job” matches.
These are the matches that test your umpiring knowledge and personal temperament to your limits and beyond. Post match you welcome the supportive hand of friends and colleagues while weathering the accusing finger of blame from players, fans and social media.
This was one such match. There have been multiple others like it in the history of the sport, as Richard Ings knows all too well.
It happened at the 1987 US Open. I was the chair umpire for the fourth-round stadium court match between John McEnroe and Slobodan Zivojinovic where I issued a warning, point penalty and a game penalty against McEnroe.
The game penalty, for a string of obscenities directed and me, came at 4-5, costing McEnroe the set and making the match one set all.
Richard points out that ALL players know destroying your racquet on court is a mandatory code violation. Furthermore, ALL players are told time and again that publicly attacking an umpire’s honesty is ALSO a mandatory code violation. So, yes, Serena has only herself to blame for those penalties and her actions.
Serena, as Deanna points out here, is trying to claim that her loss isn’t because of her penalties. She is blaming sexism and racism for HER own actions.
The decisions made by Ramos had nothing to do with sexism or racism. They had everything to do with observing clear breaches of the grand slam code of conduct and then having the courage to call them without fear or favour.
Exactly. I don’t care how famous or how talented Serena is. If you cannot conduct yourself with class and grace, both on and off the court, then I have no respect for you.
Rules are rules. For anyone interested in an analysis of this contretemps beyond the usual social media hysterics, I recommend this read… https://t.co/hSl7Cd3xlm
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) September 9, 2018
I can completely understand Naomi Osaka’s tears given how poorly Serena acted throughout the last match and afterwards. But to literally apologize for winning??
“I’m sorry,” Osaka said. “I know that everyone was cheering for her and I’m sorry it had to end like this.”
She turned to Williams. “I’m really grateful I was able to play with you,” Osaka said. “Thank you.” She bowed her head to Williams, and Williams just took it — no reciprocation, no emotion.
In other words: Serena couldn’t even muster a modicum of graciousness for Naomi’s gesture. How unsportsmanlike!
Naomi’s graciousness and excellent sportsmanship continues.
So there’s been a lot going on but I just want to say, I was grateful to have the opportunity to play on that stage yesterday. Thank you ❤️ pic.twitter.com/utiEKJF8NN
— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@Naomi_Osaka_) September 9, 2018
Congratulations and don't let anything obscure your well-earned victory https://t.co/wRCdpkAZv7
— Jim Hanson (@Uncle_Jimbo) September 9, 2018
To blame others for something that is your own fault is the epitome of unsportsmanlike conduct. Serena Williams deserves exactly ZERO respect for her conduct on the court yesterday. It is she who owes Naomi and Carlos Ramos an apology.
Feature Photo Credit: Sky News
scott says: one word to describe Williams after this display… Ghetto-trash…..she showed her true colors…and yes, she owes the Ramos and Osaka huge apologies… but no way in hell she has the maturity, grace, or common courtesy to offer such..
Blackgriffin says: My God, she looks like a man with boobs. WTF?
GWB says: Serena, as Deanna points out here, is trying to claim that her loss isn’t because of her penalties.
Well, it wasn’t. She lost because the other woman was a better player. At least based on folks who seem to know the sport and who watched. Except for all the bitter little snowflakes.
And you didn’t even mention the idiotic display during the awards. It seems the announcer basically said something akin to “Wow, we really think you’re great, Serena. You’re awesome enough to be our perpetual champion. But the rules say she won and we – unfortunately – have to give it to her.”
Bill Cook says: Apparently, no one told Miss Osaka that she was expected to take a dive so that the real champion could once again be crowned Queen of the Court.
Drew458 says: Williams was also fined a gigantic $17,000 for her 3 offenses. Out of the $1.38 million she got paid to be the first runner up. IMO she should have been tossed from the tournament, not paid a cent, and then fined $17,000
KBB says: Serena says she’s never cheated in her life. Is it considered cheating if a man plays in womens’ tournaments?
rbj says: Sexism? How is it sexism to enforce a required penalty that is to the advantage of another woman?
Racism? Naomi Osaka is half Japanese and half Haitian.While I admire a lot about Japanese culture, they are also incredibly racist (as are the Koreans and Chinese.) Naomi will never be accepted as Japanese by a majority of that nation.
And you never question a judge/umpire/referee’s integrity. Call them ignorant of the rules, dumb or nearsighted. Calling one a thief should be an automatic disqualifier. Baseball players get ejected for much less.
Jim says: Folks may like to see this article about a cartoon by an Australian depicting Princess Williams:
The cartoonist also makes fun of other characters in sport and politics. Most commentators here a highly critical of her actions and her disrespect for her [female] opponent yet she claims to support women. If she comes to the Australian Open Tournament next January it is highly likely she will cop a ”serve”, i.e. be booed loudly.
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