Dear Editor,

On Saturday evening at Arthur Ashe Stadium, 20-year-old Naomi Osaka runs towards the net, looking overwhelmed, showing her emotions for the first time in the hour and nineteen minute drama-filled tennis match. She just became the first Japanese (player) to win a grand slam singles title — but that’s not what fans will remember.

What they will remember is articles like USA Today’s “Blatant sexism costs Serena Williams the grand slam title.” Disrespectfully, the reporter does not give credit to the fact that Osaka won the first set in just over a half an hour and only made five unforced errors.

Osaka earned her points through perseveringly answering all of Williams’ advances with a strong groundstroke game, quick footwork, and a calm, level-headed composure, as she shut out any distractions coming from the other side of the net and from the pro-Williams crowd. Instead of praising Williams’ fight, we should respect Naomi Osaka for acting more like a veteran athlete than her 23-time Grand Slam winner counterpart.

This is tennis, a very emotional sport, and sometimes we get mad. It’s natural, but the way we handle ourselves afterwards, and how much we let a referee’s decision affect our emotions and attitude can determine the rest of the match. I personally have had many hot-headed emotional outbursts that have clouded my judgment, and my coaches and I are constantly working hard every single day to stop them from happening at tournaments.

As tennis players, we all know the code violation rules. After the first warning Williams received for coaching, I would’ve been mad too. But as a professional tennis player, for her to keep bringing up the decision for long past an understandable time frame, is disrespectful to the sport and rude towards the opponent.

In a New York Times interview, 18-time Grand Slam champion, Martina Navratilova said, “Had I behaved like that on a tennis court, I would have expected to get everything that happened to Serena. It should’ve ended … with the point warning, but Serena just couldn’t let it go.”

Personally I have also disagreed with referees’ decisions, but in order to curb my emotional outburst that could cause a point violation, I had to let it go. Male and female tennis players alike will compose themselves and swallow up their pride for the sport we all love and the opponents we respect, something Naomi Osaka is a champion at.

Sincerely,

Gabriela Knutson

SU Tennis

Published on September 12, 2018 at 7:30 pm