Serena: "Sexist" Ruling From Chair Umpire

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Serena: "Sexist" Ruling From Chair Umpire

NEW YORK—Serena Williams calls Carlos Ramos a "great umpire," but charges his ruling in tonight's US Open final was "sexist."

The 20th-seeded Serena was called for a game penalty for verbally abusing chair umpire Ramos after the veteran umpire hit her with two warnings—one for coaching and one for smashing her racquet—during Naomi Osaka's 6-2, 6-4 victory.

More: Osaka Slams Serena In Controversial US Open Final

After incurring the coaching violation warning in the second set, a seething Serena demanded an apology on the changeover berating the veteran ump as "a thief" for "stealing" a point from her.

That's when Ramos hit her with the game violation for verbal abuse giving Osaka a 5-3 second-set lead.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion said she's never had an issue with Ramos, a highly-respected chair umpire, but charged him with sexism because, she said, male players have said much worse things and not drawn a game penalty.

Williams said the game penalty "blows my mind."

"But I've seen other men call other umpires several things," Williams told the media afterward. "I'm here fighting for women's rights and for women's equality and for all kinds of stuff. For me to say 'thief' and for him to take a game, it made me feel like it was a sexist remark. He's never taken a game from a man because they said 'thief'. For me it blows my mind.

"But I'm going to continue to fight for women and to fight for us to have equal like Cornet should be able to take off her shirt without getting a fine. This is outrageous. I just feel like the fact that I have to go through this is just an example for the next person that has emotions, and that want to express themselves, and want to be a strong woman. They're going to be allowed to do that because of today. Maybe it didn't work out for me, but it's going to work out for the next person. "

Photo credit: US Open Facebook

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