So was the chair umpire Carlos Ramos truly a thief in Saturday’s United States Open women’s final? Not by the letter of tennis law.
But Ramos, Serena Williams’s coach Patrick Mouratoglou and, above all, Williams herself bear responsibility for the way an intense, gripping final between a great champion and a great young talent turned ugly.
The only full-blown victim on Saturday was the winner: Naomi Osaka.
She has the trophy after a 6-2, 6-4 victory — an extraordinary achievement for a 20-year-old playing in her first Grand Slam final in what felt like a road game from the start.