When will you as a woman choose your moment to stand your ground? Like Serena, choose now!
Boos filled the air, as the new U.S. Open champ Naomi Osaka and her idol Serena Williams stood with tears streaming down their faces at the end of the 2018 women’s U.S. Open final. Many felt the chair umpire was simply injecting himself into the results, and in turn, marred the match. The cause, the inconsistent application of a trio of archaic tennis rules.
The rulings by umpire Carlos Ramos, seeming to take a game from Serena and awarding it to Osaka was unfortunate and warrant a further discussion on several rules in tennis. Whether the penalties were justified or not, a debate was sparked over the double standard women face in sports and life. In the end, both ladies lost. Although Naomi beat Serena once, we will never really know if she would have really taken the top prize without intervention. Serena was making a comeback in a situation that she historically thrives in. But I guess we will never know if she could have pulled it off. In Boris Kodjoe’s words, “…both will recover, both will win again!”
As pointed out by tennis great Billie Jean King in a Washington Post op-ed, Serena is treated especially indifferent from most. And that’s because Serena’s athletic prowess makes it easy to make the argument for Serena Williams being the G.O.A.T (the greatest athlete of all time). With 23 Grand Slam titles to date, one away from tying the record for the greatest number of grand slam wins in the history of women’s tennis, it doesn’t seem Serena will be stopping any time soon.
Serena returned to the sport after giving birth, for which she had to undergo emergency surgeries due to life-threatening complications. She later worked hard to rise to the top in just 10 months, as well as to compete in two grand slam finals. As a result, Serena earned herself a whole new audience — working mothers and mom bosses.
Reflecting on Serena’s journey, it’s hard to ignore her dominance on the court. However, people rarely gave her [and sister Venus] the recognition deserved because they deviated from what was the expected standard in tennis. Instead of acknowledging their prowess, many instead criticized their bodies, skin color, and passion. But when you have fought and worked hard for everything you’ve earned. And suddenly your integrity and legacy are being questioned, it is easy to understand how emotions can be triggered.
Whether it’s Serena or the many other women who have experienced all sorts of abuse. As a woman, you are expected to regulate your emotions and your appearance, to what is deemed more appropriate. It is important to note, women are treated indifferently not just in the workplace but also in life. This is especially true if you are a woman of color, as highlighted by Billie Jean King.
What played out on the 2018 women’s U.S. Open court happens far too often. A strong woman penalized for standing up for herself. Everything that would have been deemed admirable of men somehow made Serena inherently less of a woman. Players like John McEnroe, Ilie Nastase, Roger Federer, Andy Roddick, and Andre Agassi are celebrated for displaying far worse. Men’s passionate behaviors are seen as iconic and funny. But for Serena Williams, her passion is seen as anger. Male players don’t get penalized for showing their passion, even though they smash rackets and yell at umpires using language we never hear from women.
Serena Williams was right to stand her ground, where she was penalized for something regularly overlooked for men. From Serena’s muscles to her passion and her clothing. She was unranked because she took maternity leave, even though she won a grand slam while pregnant. She was told she can’t wear a catsuit which was a medical necessity after a difficult pregnancy. Yet, after all that Serena had experienced — and we have all borne witness to — somehow she managed to remain gracious.
But it is who Serena Williams has become on and off the court that has won the hearts of both fans and non-fans. After the match, she demonstrated class and the heart of a true champion — holding it together so Naomi Osaka could stand in her well-deserved light. Occasionally, comforting the young champ.
Osaka, congratulations! Be proud of your achievement. You’re strong and will be a tremendous blessing to tennis for years to come.
Why do women have to choose when to stand their ground? Why do we have to wait for us to be granted permission? For Serena, her moment was now, on one of the greatest stages. Serena, I applaud you for using your platform as a change-mechanism!
