Caroline Wozniacki weighs in on debate over Serena Williams US Open behaviour

WTA Tour
Serena Williams pointing

Caroline Wozniacki is the latest player to weigh in on the debate over Serena Williams’ US Open final conduct.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion has divided opinion far and wide after her on-court row with umpire Carlos Ramos over an alleged coaching infraction.

After the match, which she lost to Naomi Osaka, Williams claimed that she had been a victim of sexism, and that the subsequent penalty she received for verbal abuse would not have been issued to a man.

And, while Wozniacki stopped short of saying she agreed with those controversial views, she did indicate she understood them.

“I never really thought about it ‘till that happened because to me, I’m so focused on just myself and our tour,” she said.

“I never really tried to compare us to the men.

“But I think Serena has a point. I think she has a point in some of what she’s saying.

“I think everyone has the right to their own opinion.

“I think that when you’re going into a Grand Slam final, you’re fighting for your 24th Slam, you’re fighting to be, on paper, the best player to ever have played the game – in my opinion I think she already is – I think there will be emotions involved.

“I think there will be some feelings there when you go onto the court.”

Although she received three code violations from Ramos on the day, it was the coaching allegation that riled her the most.

The WTA Tour allow on-court coaching but Grand Slams do not, but Wozniacki is keen to point out that Williams does not even allow herself coaching when it’s allowed, so it’s understandable that she was so upset.

She also believes that Ramos could have handled the situation a lot better.

“If someone knows Serena, if someone has followed her career, she never gets coaching, and she never asks for the coach on court.

“I think as an umpire, as a great umpire, you obviously have to be a good umpire to be in the finals, you should also be aware that this is the situation.

“I think you should be aware that Serena is not one of those people that really looks up to the box or communicates with the box.

“In my opinion I think that in the situation he probably should have given her a soft warning, and if he felt this is the way it was, said that ‘Your team is making signs, you need to make them stop’.

“That’s, in my opinion, the way that the umpires usually do it.

“If you were to be strict on this and say, ‘Any signs, anything’, then you should have taken both players and the coaches before the match and said, ‘Hey, I’m really strict today. I tolerate nothing. It’s the way it is’. That’s also okay.

“I think there should be some strict rules, and I think those rules are kind of a grey zone. I think every match should be the same.”

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