I decided to comment on the US Open Women’s Tennis Final/Serena vs. the ref/ Naomi Osaka thing via Twitter. Here’s the tweet-storm-
Ok, I have to take the bait on Serena Williams and the U.S. Open Final…
— Rich Wilkins (@TheRichWilkins) September 10, 2018
Let me help all of you- Naomi Osaka. Say her name. She won the U.S. Open. This is her big moment. She’s 20. Follow her @Naomi_Osaka_. She literally just beat the best women’s tennis 🎾 player ever.
— Rich Wilkins (@TheRichWilkins) September 10, 2018
I feel like everybody is missing that point. It’s not always about Serena, even when she loses. The fight with the umpire isn’t what decided the match. It’s unfortunate this is overshadowing Naomi’s win.
— Rich Wilkins (@TheRichWilkins) September 10, 2018
Now, on the point of Serena getting penalized like that- there absolutely is a double-standard here. Everyone saying McEnroe, Agassi, Federer, Nadal, etc. would not have been penalized the way Serena was- you’re right.
— Rich Wilkins (@TheRichWilkins) September 10, 2018
Everybody saying the umpire got too involved in the match, baited her, made a fool of himself, and was inappropriate- yes. You are correct.
— Rich Wilkins (@TheRichWilkins) September 10, 2018
So now that we’re all in agreement about Osaka doing great ad the ref being a jerk to Serena, let’s get a few other things straight…
— Rich Wilkins (@TheRichWilkins) September 10, 2018
I don’t condone athletes attacking referees in any sport, male or female. They’re going to miss some calls. It’s okay to let them know. If you think they’re targeting you, then you should argue.
— Rich Wilkins (@TheRichWilkins) September 10, 2018
Did Serena “meltdown?” I mean, it probably wasn’t her best moment. She was frustrated by the match, I’m sure. The use of the word “meltdown” is really bothering people though, because again, double-standards.
— Rich Wilkins (@TheRichWilkins) September 10, 2018
If you wouldn’t say Federer had a “meltdown” when he argued with officials in the past, or if you called McEnroe “passionate” instead of “emotional,” please stand down. You’re not seeing your own biases.
— Rich Wilkins (@TheRichWilkins) September 10, 2018
I’m not necessarily defending Serena here. I’m just saying you should extend her the same courtesy that you would a male superstar. Many of her critics are not. Some of her fans are extending her too much.
— Rich Wilkins (@TheRichWilkins) September 10, 2018
I hope everybody who actually cares about this comes to their senses- the story is @Naomi_Osaka_ winning the biggest match of her life. Not some two-bit umpire getting his five minutes of fame going after @serenawilliams on a tough day.
— Rich Wilkins (@TheRichWilkins) September 10, 2018
That’s all I’ve got on this one.
— Rich Wilkins (@TheRichWilkins) September 10, 2018
