5 Serena Williams moments that impacted the tennis world like no other ft. Naomi Osaka controversy, Indian Wells boycott
Serena Williams was the center of attention thanks to her exploits on and off the court for over two decades. She broke numerous records during her playing days and etched her name in tennis history with her achievements.
All eyes were on Williams every time she stepped onto the court for a match. When there's so much media attention on your every move, even the smallest incident is amplified to a great extent.
She did find herself in the middle of quite a few dramatic moments throughout her career, which shaped the sport in some way or the other. With that in mind, here's a look at five moments involving Serena Williams that altered the tennis world:
#5 - Wrong line calls against Serena Williams paves the way for the Hawk-Eye system (US Open 2004 QF)
Williams' quest for a third US Open title in 2004 was going quite smoothly, and she made the last eight without losing a set. She faced her rival Jennifer Capriati for a spot in the semifinals.
Williams took the opening set, after which Capriati stormed back to take the second set. Throughout the match, some questionable line calls were being made, and one such call in the deciding set possibly altered the course of the match.
Williams hit a winner at deuce in the first game of the third set, which was called in by the line judge. However, chair umpire Mariana Alves overruled the decision, and instead awarded the point to Capriati.
Hawk-Eye wasn't officially in use back then and was only used to convey close calls to the television audience. A replay did confirm that Williams was in the right, though she had no recourse. Capriati won that game and went on to win the match as well.
There was a considerable outcry because of this. While Williams attributed the loss to her poor form, she did feel "robbed" because of a few calls that went against her. Alves later apologized to her, and Hawk-Eye was officially brought in the following year and has become a crucial part of matches ever since.
#4 - Serena Williams loses her cool and is eliminated from the US Open 2009
Williams' title defense at the US Open 2009 ended controversially. She faced Kim Clijsters in the semifinals and found herself on the backfoot after losing the first set. Serving to stay in the match at 5-3 in the second set, a foot fault was called for the American, which brought up a couple of match points for her opponent.
Williams lost her composure at the linesperson who made the call and threatened to shove a ball down her throat. She was given a point penalty for her unsportsmanlike conduct, which brought an end to the match. She was issued a $10,500 fine the following day.
After an investigation, Williams was fined another $175,000 by the Grand Slam committee in place of a suspension from competing at the Majors. She was also put on two-year probation, which would result in a suspension if she committed another offense.
However, if she didn't get into any trouble, then the fine would be reduced to $82,500. Williams was on her best behavior after that. She did apologize for the same later on, and stated that the whole ordeal was humbling for her.
#3 - Serena Williams' 33-match winning streak at the Majors is snapped during the infamous "Hand Match" (French Open 2003 SF)
Williams had an aura of invincibility heading into the French Open 2003, and for good reason as well. She had just won her fourth Major on the trot at the Australian Open at the start of the year to complete the "Serena Slam". She had also won all five of her matches in straight sets to advance to the semifinals in Paris.
Williams was up against Justine Henin in the semifinals. The latter raced to an early lead and took the first set with a partisan Parisian crowd firmly behind her. However, the American proved why she was the reigning queen of the Majors, and claimed the second set.
Williams broke early in the third set to pull ahead, and it all fell apart when she served at 4-2, 30-0. Her first serve landed into the net, though she had seen Henin raise her hand to indicate that she wasn't ready. She argued with the umpire about the same and was insistent on getting another first serve.
The umpire didn't relent as she didn't see Henin raise her hand, and Williams lost the point on the back of her second serve. The crowd rallied against the American after that, with their boos getting louder every time she made an error, which rattled her.
Henin eventually won the match, and Williams' 33-match winning streak at the Majors came to an end. The latter expressed disappointment in her opponent's behavior, who would admit to her part in the fiasco after her retirement.
#2 - Serena Williams's tussle with the umpire stirs up a huge controversy (US Open 2018 final)
Williams made her return from maternity leave in 2018 and finished as the runner-up at Wimbledon only a few months into her comeback. She continued to impress and reached the final of the US Open as well, where she faced first-time finalist Naomi Osaka.
The match soon devolved into controversy and is remembered more for Williams' outburst. She was given a code violation by chair umpire Carlos Ramos after she was caught receiving hand signals from her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou. The American denied the same and received a point penalty for racquet abuse after that.
This led to another series of arguments between Williams and Ramos, and finally, she received a game penalty and went on to lose the match. She accused the umpire of being sexist, and targeting her unfairly, and was later fined $17,000 as well.
While Mouratoglou did confirm that he was trying to send Williams a signal, he felt that she probably didn't understand what he was trying to convey. On-court coaching rules have gotten more relaxed since then.
#1 - Serena Williams boycotts the Indian Wells Open after a series of racially charged remarks in 2001
Williams won the Indian Wells Open 2001 with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 comeback win over Clijsters. However, her joy of winning the tournament was short-lived and bittersweet. Throughout the tournament, she and her sister, Venus Williams, were subject to racially motivated taunts, which led to them boycotting the tournament.
The sisters didn't compete at Indian Wells after that, despite the tournament being a mandatory one on the WTA Tour. They would eventually compete in the California desert more than a decade later. Serena Williams returned to Indian Wells in 2015, followed by Venus Williams in 2016.
The sisters have broken numerous barriers as women of color. Their decision to skip the tournament was an important one to showcase that there's no place for bigotry in tennis, and the two were firm on their stand until things changed for the better.