Serena Williams Fights Sexism in the US Open

Serena Williams Fights Sexism in the US Open

Assessment:
Vox is owned by Vox Media; it was founded by Ezra Klein, who previously worked for The Washington Post. Vox Media was originally a sports blog company, but it has since expanded its focus and manages multiple companies and a video game; they are also producing a Netflix series this year called “Explained,” which goes in depth about topics ranging from the wage gap to UFO’s. Vox leans liberal, but presents fair analyses on news. The company says that it is an "organization genuinely dedicated to explaining the news. That is to say, our end goal isn’t telling you what just happened, or how we feel about what just happened, it’s making sure you understand what just happened." (Vox 2014). 

Summary:
Serena Williams is fighting sexism after her US Open finals match against Naomi Osaka. The umpire, Carlos Ramos, gave Williams a warning after seeing her coach attempt to signal her. Later, she broke her racquet, and Ramos deducted a point. Williams was justifiably upset, because many male pros have done the same and faced no penalty. She then accused Ramos of being a thief; Ramos called this verbal abuse and took away a game from Williams during an intense part of the set. 

Analysis:
The article presents the situation and accurately portrays Williams’s perspective while also giving her a platform to speak about her experiences during her US Open finals match. Williams defended her right to criticize her umpire, and pointed out how frequently men in her career act emotionally on the court and face softer—if any—punishments. Twitter has responded with extensive support for the athlete; through a tweet James Blake affirms Willams’s accusations, saying, "I will admit I have said worse and not gotten penalized.  And I’ve also been given a “soft warning” by the [umpire] where they tell you knock it off or I will have to give you a violation.  He should have at least given her that courtesy.  Sad to mar a well played final that way. "

This article even goes on to illustrate other women who faced discrimination during this tournament; while on the court Alizé Cornet realized her shirt was on backwards and took it off, with a sports bra underneath, to put it on correctly. Although it’s nothing new for male tennis players to remove their shirts during their matches, Cornet initially received a penalty for her action. The penalty later was reduced to a warning.

Opinion:
Tennis has been a part of my family’s culture for about 15 years, and I remember watching tennis matches since I was very young. Tennis is refreshing compared to other popular sports because it’s known for being classy and proper; for example, one of the biggest annual tournaments, Wimbledon, has a strict dress code, only allowing players to wear all white outfits which is an old tradition for tennis players dating back to the nineteenth century. This strict rule originated from the undesirable sight of sweat stains on colored clothes. 

While the sport proudly wears its professional reputation, many professional male tennis players have been quite unprofessional on the court. The act of a man taking his shirt off on a tennis court is nothing new for regular watchers of tennis, as well as the act of breaking one’s racquet due to a lost point and arguing with umpires and line judges. While I admire the sport’s mature attitude, they are allowing male players to behave in a way that female players are not. 

Billie Jean King, a tennis legend, supports Williams and tweets, “Several things went very wrong during the [US Open] Women’s Finals today. Coaching on every point should be allowed in tennis. It isn’t, and as a result, a player was penalized for the actions of her coach. This should not happen . . . When a woman is emotional, she’s ‘hysterical’ and she’s penalized for it. When a man does the same, he’s ‘outspoken’ & and there are no repercussions. Thank you, [Serena Williams], for calling out this double standard. More voices are needed to do the same."

Because of the strict reputation tennis upholds and the importance of a level-head during a tennis match, I agree with the act of penalizing a player who disrupts a match with their behavior; however, it is hypocritical to allow male players to act out while punishing female players. It is sad to see the sport supporting blatant sexism, but I’m glad there are platforms for concerned voices to be heard. 

Sources:
Initial Article
https://www.vox.com/2018/9/9/17837310/serena-williams-ref-violation-thief-carlos-ramos
Vox Quote
https://www.vox.com/2014/3/28/5559144/nine-questions-about-vox
Billie Jean King’s Tweets
https://mobile.twitter.com/BillieJeanKing/status/1038613108976168960
https://mobile.twitter.com/BillieJeanKing/status/1038613218296569856
James Blake’s Tweets
https://mobile.twitter.com/JRBlake/status/1038619979938189313

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