Team Serena or nah? Twitter in fierce fight over US Open final

10 September 2018 - 07:24 By Jessica Levitt
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Williams has been fined $17,000 for code violations during the US Open final.
Williams has been fined $17,000 for code violations during the US Open final.
Image: Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images

The furore over the final of the US Open is continuing after it was on Sunday revealed that Serena Williams had been fined $17,000 for code violations during the game which saw her lose her bid to equal the record for a 24th major title.

Williams got a code violation for coaching, a penalty point for racquet abuse and a game penalty for calling umpire Carlos Ramos a "liar and a thief" after he handed down the coaching code violation.

Footage from the match saw her coach Patrick Mouratoglou giving her gestures during the game. He later admitted that he was coaching her but said it was something that other coaches did all the time.

Williams remains adamant that she did not see the gestures and said she had even texted her coach after the game to understand what had happened.

"I just texted Patrick, like, 'what is he talking about?' Because we don't have signals. We have never discussed signals."

Naomi Osaka won the final to become Japan's first ever Grand Slam singles champion but the win was overshadowed by crowd boos.

Footage of Williams calling the umpire a "thief" has since gone viral, while images of Osaka tearfully pulling her cap down and wiping away her tears has received an equal amount of attention.

Williams accused the sport of sexism and said she hoped her fight would help other female tennis players down the line. 

“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 a sexist remark.

Her actions have received backlash and applause. Here's a look:

Serena is GOAT

That meltdown is not on

Serena Williams has been fined $17,000 for the code violations she received during the US. Open final, the United States Tennis Association said on September 9 2018.

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