Naomi Osaka defeated Serena Williams in the U.S. Open final to win the first major of her young career.
- Naomi Osaka defeated Serena Williams 6-2, 6-4 on Saturday in the US Open final to take home the first major title of her young career.
- While the story of the match should have been Osaka, repeated violations given out by umpire Carlos Ramos to Williams quickly became a sticking point with both the players and the crowd.
- Supporters booed through some post-match interviews, but Williams interjected, instructing the crowd to give Osaka her moment.
Naomi Osaka defeated Serena Williams 6-2, 6-4 on Saturday in the US Open final to take home the first major title of her young career.
The win came with a bit of controversy due to umpire Carlos Ramos, who assessed Williams with a critical penalty in the second set. Williams challenged Ramos and earned a third violation that came with a game penalty to put Osaka up 5-3 in the second set.
Osaka would win on her next service and take home the title.
During the trophy presentation, fans were displeased with how the match had ended — Williams supporters were certainly displeased with the fact that the greatest to ever play the game hadn't had the chance to win or lose on her own merits.
But Williams handled the moment with astounding grace, instructing the crowd to stop their booing, and instead embrace Osaka asking those in attendance to celebrate her victory.
It was quite a moment for Osaka, earning the first major of her career at just 20 years old, and defeating her idol, Williams, to do it. Osaka had made clear beforehand how delighted she was to take on Williams in the final.
Both Williams and Osaka likely wish the officiating had gone a bit differently on Saturday, but thankfully, there's little doubt that these two will meet again on the court in a critical match in the near future.