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Did chair referee Carlos Ramos really be a thief in the Saturday final of the US Open? Not by the law on tennis.
But Ramos, Serena Williams coach Patrick Mouratoglou and, above all, Williams themselves take responsibility for an intense and exciting final between a great champion and a young talent that has become ugly.
The only full-fledged victim Saturday was the winner: Naomi Osaka.
She won the trophy after a 6-2, 6-4 win, an extraordinary performance for a 20-year-old who played her first Grand Slam final in what appeared to be a road match from the start. Cheers for Williams resonated under the closed roof of Arthur Ashe Stadium, the biggest sporting venue.
But Osaka will never find his decisive moment. If there were bona fide flights on Saturday, it was only a tennis match, after all, that was the case.
Williams experienced her talent and commitment in 1999. She arrived at the same Ashe stadium, where she played boldly and often brilliantly at age 17 to defeat Martina Hingis. final.
There was no reserve, no tears while his ceremony began, no tears caused by mixed emotions during a day that was just a total joy (unless you were Hingis) .
But Osaka had to deal with everything that happened after one of the best matches ever played by a youngster in his position.
She absorbed all that Williams and the chaotic circumstances could throw him and stayed somehow in the area.
"I thought I should not let my nerves get in the way or anything," Osaka said. "And I should just focus on playing tennis because that's what allowed me to do it."
It's easy to say, but rarely achieved, and although Osaka was a portrait of calm and concentration on Saturday, this has not been the case throughout his short career. She struggled with negativity, self-doubt, selection of moves under pressure and consistency.
But with her new coach Sascha Bajin who set the tone, she became a champion in New York.
"In the end, you never know what you're capable of until you've been tested," Bajin said. "Naomi was thrown into the deep water today. He was thrown at everything: big bombs by Serena, the crowd, the drama. She stayed calm. There are some things you can train to do; other things you just have, and I believe it's a gift, what Naomi has.
She arrived without persistent injuries and her improved physical condition allowed her to stay longer in rally without feeling the need to be broken. His footwork, especially the quick-set stages, is also much improved, and his leg training has increased his power of service and his ability to hit flat, full strength, serves all sections of the box.
But many players have improved their fitness and technique on tour. So few people could have managed an opportunity like Saturday with that kind of aplomb. The final was remarkably intense from the start of the match, an extended and important base duel won by Osaka.
Time and time again, Williams has been trying to increase the volume and the intensity. Time and time again, Osaka stood firm, beat Williams to his own power play and did not panic.
"It was outstanding from start to finish," said Mouratoglou. "She never tried to play too much. She was under control all the time, and she controlled everything, including her emotions, which is obviously the most difficult thing when you play your first Grand Slam final. And that was true from start to finish, when she served for the match. She was as calm and in control in the last game as in the first match of the match, and that is rare.
This is the case of Marat Safin, the 20-year-old, who defeated American champion Pete Sampras in the The 2000 US Open final, which was also Safin's first big moment.
But Safin's win against the old guard has nothing of the drama of Saturday's final. What makes this match even more striking is the contrast between the freshness of Osaka and the combustibility of Williams.
Williams seemed to have entered a new phase of his career and his approach to adversity. Once unobtrusive in defeat, she became a gracious loser in the following years. She has increasingly used her hard-won platform to denounce important social issues and has repeatedly mentioned her desire to be a model for her daughter, Olympia, since returning in March.
But everything happened Saturday on the same field where it happened before. At least she was not physically threatening Ramos as if she had threatened a touch judge who called her a foot foul in the 2009 semifinal against Kim Clijsters.
She was trailing then, as she trailed Saturday and as she trailed in the 2011 final, when she had to face Sam Stosur after screaming in the middle of a rally and distracted her opponent.
This time, Williams blamed the chair umpire Eva Asderaki and told him, "If we walk down the street, let's stay on the other side. You are totally out of control. You are a hater and you are unattractive inside. What a loser. "
This time she barked at Asderaki, "Do not look at me." Saturday, after Ramos refused to apologize to her that she claimed, she slammed:
If you notice a pattern here, you are not alone. Many champions, men or women, treated the perceived injustices on the ground with much more class and a lot less rights, and although Williams was charming by calming the crowd and congratulating Osaka at the ceremony after on the other hand, a consequence of his excessive reaction.
There is no doubt that Ramos could have handled the situation better, but without a doubt Williams could have handled it a lot better, which is the same conclusion that many of us reached in 2009 and 2011.
On Saturday, as in the 2011 final, she seemed confused about the rules of the code of conduct. She has been on tour for too long to not know better.
Williams is, of course, a supreme competitor: that 's what made her a 23 – time Grand Slam champion and brought her back to the fore after an injury, a family tragedy, an illness and now a pregnancy.
But this internal fire can also become a fuel for something else when the defeat looms in an enlightened match at Ashe Stadium.
It's a pity for all, but it was especially a shame for Osaka.
You only win your first Grand Slam title once.
Ben Rothenberg contributed to the report.
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