Serena Williams once reflected on the immense challenges she had to face throughout her legendary tennis career. The American made the candid confession after the 2018 US Open final, during which her heated clashes with the chair umpire overshadowed Naomi Osaka’s maiden Grand Slam triumph.
In a 2019 essay for Harper’s Bazaar, Williams defended herself against the backlash over the incident by arguing that male players had gotten away with much worse behavior toward umpires without receiving the game penalty she did. The 23-time Grand Slam champion admitted to feeling “defeated and disrespected” by tennis, as she questioned why she wasn’t allowed to express her frustration without consequences while her male counterparts could.
Despite the criticism, Serena Williams made it clear that she would always stand up against “injustice.” The American recalled being booed relentlessly at the Indian Wells Open as a 19-year-old, being “shamed” for her physique, dealing with the gender pay gap, and being “blatantly cheated against” at the 2004 US Open, which led to the introduction of the Hawk-Eye review system.
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Even after facing these challenges, Williams said that she would continue to be vocal about such issues because she wanted to create a better environment for the women who would follow in her footsteps.
"As a teenager, I was booed by an entire stadium (I took the high road and even thanked those who didn’t want to see me win). I’ve been called every name in the book. I’ve been shamed because of my body shape. I’ve been paid unequally because of my sex. I’ve been penalized a game in the final of a major because I expressed my opinion or grunted too loudly," Serena Williams wrote.
"I’ve been blatantly cheated against to the point where the Hawk-Eye rules were introduced so that something like that would not happen again. And these are only the things that are seen by the public. In short, it’s never been easy. But then I think of the next girl who is going to come along who looks like me, and I hope, "Maybe, just maybe, my voice will help her,"" she added.
Despite standing firmly by her beliefs, Serena Williams admitted that she had lost sleep over her part in the "debacle" that ruined Naomi Osaka's special moment. To make up for the ordeal, the 23-time Grand Slam champion revealed that she had penned an emotional letter to Osaka.
Serena Williams: "Ultimately, my daughter is the reason I use my voice, the reason I picked up a racket again"
In the same piece, Serena Williams disclosed that Naomi Osaka's response to her letter had brought her to tears, as the Japanese graciously encouraged her to continue breaking barriers as a trailblazer.
"When Naomi’s response came through, tears rolled down my face. "People can misunderstand anger for strength because they can’t differentiate between the two," she said graciously. "No one has stood up for themselves the way you have and you need to continue trailblazing,"" Serena Williams wrote.
The former World No. 1 also credited her daughter Olympia as the driving force behind her desire to raise her voice and return to tennis after her distressing experience at the US Open.
"Ultimately, my daughter is the reason I use my voice, the reason I picked up a racket again. Love breathes life and newfound perspective into people. It’s not about quitting when someone presents a challenge; it’s about getting up when you are down, dusting yourself off and asking, "Is that the best you got?" Because I have God with me, and I can take whatever comes my way," she added.
Serena Williams delivered a stellar campaign upon her return to the New York Major in 2019. However, the American fell short of clinching a record 24th Grand Slam title once again, suffering a 6-3, 7-5 loss to Bianca Andreescu in the final.
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