What Happened With Serena Williams?
I don't know. Some say she was a jerk, some say she was robbed.
What I do know is that even if she was being a jerk, there'd be a lot of people saying that she got robbed.
Remember when John McEnroe said--truly and reasonably--that Williams was (gasp!) the best female tennis player of all time? And people freaked out? And when pressed, he pointed out--truly and reasonably--that she wouldn't be able to beat the best men? And people freaked out?
Yeah, I assume that this is likely to be that sort of thing.
Needless to say, however, it's not Williams's fault that other people are nuts.
What I do know is that even if she was being a jerk, there'd be a lot of people saying that she got robbed.
Remember when John McEnroe said--truly and reasonably--that Williams was (gasp!) the best female tennis player of all time? And people freaked out? And when pressed, he pointed out--truly and reasonably--that she wouldn't be able to beat the best men? And people freaked out?
Yeah, I assume that this is likely to be that sort of thing.
Needless to say, however, it's not Williams's fault that other people are nuts.
posted by Winston Smith at
10:21 PM
3 Comments:
Are you sure it isn't Williams' fault. Here's a quote from after the match:
“I’ve seen other men call other umpires several things. I’m here fighting for women’s rights and for women’s equality. For me to say ‘thief’ and for him to take a game, it made me feel like it was sexist,” Williams said. “He’s never taken a game from a man because they said ‘thief.’ For me, it blows my mind.”
So pouting about the ref in a game where you lost handily is fighting for women's equality? That's...pretty nuts.
But, more interesting question: suppose refs really do officiate the rules differently in women's vs. men's tennis. Is there really a good reason to say that is unjust? Without question begging, of course.
I'm not sure what McEnroe has to do with this, except as an example of what usually doesn't get you docked the cost of a tournament. The guy acted out on the court all the time, yet wasn't docked for it. So yeah, I don't see why Williams was either.
And yeah, the guy is an asshole. So what? He is also wrong about where Williams would place: closer to 100 than 700. That doesn't mean Williams isn't one of tbe top athletes in the world. Men's and women's rankings are closer together than you may think. Consider that Katie Ledecky would have been ranked #17 in the US *among men*. That doesnt make here th #50 swimmer in the world. It makes her the most dominant swimmer since Phelps at his best. She, like Williams, is a GOAT.
Williams did not pout after the game. She was gracious to the victor, who had a tough time of it, too. I guarantee that Osaka did *not* want that asterisk placed after her win, either.
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