We owe Serena Williams an apology. At the 2018 US Open, Williams played 20-year-old Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka in the Women’s Singles final. Both players put up a good fight, but Osaka had the upper hand and beat Williams 6-2, 6-4. Osaka deserves every bit of her well-earned victory, but Williams’ statement to chair umpire Carlos Ramos still stands, “You owe me an apology.”
Osaka made history by becoming the first Japanese tennis player to win a Grand Slam. This fact should have been met with cheers and a standing ovation. Instead, Osaka had to stand up on the podium as the crowd shouted their frustrations over Williams’ code violations.