Tennis Today: No end in sight to Serena Williams debate as ‘tennis lies at a crossroads’

Shahida Jacobs 11 Sep 2018 10:08 AM

In Tennis Today, we have a bucketload of stories about the Serena Williams controversy.

What’s on the site
The controversy over the US Open final is not blowing away and the ITF has come out in support of chair umpire Carlos Ramos saying he acted “with professionalism and integrity”.

Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic feels the umpire should have handled the situation better. However, there is a but involved.

Sticking with Djokovic, do give Kevin Palmer’s piece on the US Open champion’s fight to claim the respect he is due a read.

There are two WTA Tour events this week and here are your reports…
WTA Japan Open
WTA Coupe Banque Nationale

What’s in the news
Back to the Serena Williams furore and The Independent reports author JK Rowling has condemned a cartoon of Serena Williams by Mark Knight in the Herald Sun as “racist and sexist”.

And if you are not sure why the Serena cartoon was racist, then the Sydney Morning Herald’s Duncan Fine has you covered.

Charlie Eccleshare in Telegraph Sport says tennis authorities are “actually exposing their own double standards”.

“The idea that no-one is bigger than the sport is made to look more and more laughable with every passing year.”

The Guardian’s Kevin Mitchell feels “Serena Williams’s meltdown is a sign that tennis lies at a crossroads ”

In the Daily Mail, former umpire Richard Ings has also backed Carlos Ramos as he feels the official handled the match “absolutely perfectly”.

Moving away from Serena Williams and the US Open final, Novak Djokovic has overtaken Roger Federer in the all-time prize money list on the back of his win at Flushing Meadows.

Express Sport adds “surprise results revealed”.

In Metro Sport, Juan Martin del Potro has backed Djokovic to surpass Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal’s Grand Slam records.

The Sun reports “Jamie Murray blasts British Airways after they lose his rackets on flight”.

What’s on social media
The top 10 points from the 2018 US Open, you know what’s coming.

And here are the memorable moments.

Naomi Osaka has been busy.

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?Thank you to @TODAYshow for having me on this morning, thank you for going so kind Savannah and Hoda ?? also ?ty to Djoko for being such a cool guy ??

A post shared by Naomi Osaka ????? (@naomiosakatennis) on Sep 10, 2018 at 7:34am PDT