Following an ugly incident Saturday night that saw an umpire’s decision contribute to Naomi Osaka defeating Serena Williams at the U.S. Open, Novak Djokovic spoke up on behalf of his female colleague.
Djokovic, who became the U.S. Open men’s champion with a win over Juan Martin del Potro on Sunday, was asked about the Williams controversy after his win.
While being diplomatic, Djokovic did put the blame for what happened on Saturday night on the shoulders of umpire Carlos Ramos.
“I have my personal opinion that maybe the chair umpire should not have pushed Serena to the limit, especially in a Grand Slam final,” he said. “Just maybe changed – not maybe, but he did change the course of the match. It was, in my opinion, maybe unnecessary. We all go through our emotions, especially when you’re fighting for a Grand Slam trophy.”
Djokovic also said he has empathy for Ramos as well as Williams and Osaka.
“Look, I love Serena, first of all,” Djokovic said. “I really felt for her [Saturday]. Tough thing for a chair umpire to deal with, as well. We have to empathize with him. Everyone was in a very awkward situation yesterday. A lot of emotions. Serena was crying. Naomi was crying. It was really, really tough.”
In addition to the pain of losing, Williams was fined $17,000 for her actions by the U.S. Tennis Association.
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