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Serena Williams recently called the curtains on her remarkable tennis career at the 2022 US Open. The American was one of the most fierce competitors in women's tennis and dominated the sport for almost two decades.
In 2017, she won her 23rd Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open, becoming the oldest player in the Open Era to win a Major title. The 41-year-old has won four Olympic gold medals, one in singles and three in doubles, and has been ranked World No. 1 by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) on eight occasions.
In addition to her success on the court, Williams is also known for her philanthropic work and has been a vocal advocate for social and racial justice issues. Despite facing several controversies throughout her career, she remains one of the most respected and influential athletes in the world.
There's been no shortage of drama, entertainment, or excellence whenever the former World No. 1 hits the court. Let's take a look at ten of the most controversial moments of her tennis career.
#10 The 2001 Indian Wells Open incident
The 2001 Indian Wells Open is seen as one of the low points in Serena and Venus Williams' tennis careers. Both sisters reached the semifinals of the Masters event, with Serena beating the likes of Magdalena Maleeva and Lindsay Davenport to get there.
Serena was due to battle it out against her sister Venus Williams for a place in the final, and the chaotic California crowd eagerly awaited their encounter at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. However, Venus Williams withdrew from the match 10 minutes before it was scheduled, citing an injury, leaving the crowd frustrated as they couldn't get a glimpse of two of the most in-form women's tennis players at the time. This led to speculation and accusations that Venus Williams had thrown the match to allow her sister to progress to the finals.
Serena Williams, her father Richard Williams, and Venus Williams were jeered and booed by the crowd as they arrived for Serena's final encounter against Kim Clijsters. Williams eventually went on to win in a thrilling three-set tie but mentioned in an interview that the incident was one of the worst moments of her career.
9) Rain Gods to the rescue against Daniela Hantuchova at Wimbledon in 2007
Serena Williams entered Wimbledon in 2007 as the reigning Australian Open and Miami Open Champion. She defeated the likes of Alicia Molik and Milagros Sequera to reach the fourth round and was poised for yet another deep run at the grass court Major. However, the No. 7 seed suffered an unfortunate leg injury in her fourth-round tie against Daniela Hantuchova. She struggled to cope with the situation and went down 5-6 in the second set after initially leading the match against the Slovakian.
Williams' exit looked inevitable as things stood, but the rain came to her rescue and the match was halted for 90 minutes as the covers came on to protect the court. This allowed the American to regroup and recover from her leg cramps, outlasting Hantuchova in a three-setter.
8) US Open semifinal against Kim Clijsters in 2009
Serena Williams' 2009 US Open semifinal encounter against Kim Clijsters was one of the most infamous matches of her tennis career. She entered the hardcourt Major on the back of title-winning runs at the Australian Open and the Wimbledon Championships, but things didn't go as per plan for the No. 2 seed in the semifinals at Flushing Meadows. She was on the receiving end of some close calls made by the linesperson and couldn't build any kind of momentum against Clijsters.
The American lost her cool when she was wrongly called out for a foot fault and was so shocked and frustrated that she threatened the linesperson during the match. This eventually led to a point penalty against her on match point, giving Clijsters the win. The American was fined $10,500 for her behavior and she later apologized for her actions.
7) US Open final defeat to Samantha Stosur in 2011
Serena Williams has reached the finals at the US Open 10 times in her career and has lost four times. Only Venus Williams, Samantha Stosur, Bianca Andreescu, and Naomi Osaka have managed to defeat the former World No. 1 in New York in the decider.
The American's defeat against Samantha Stosur came as a surprise to many as the Australian was playing her very first final at a Major tournament in the singles draw. There was no shortage of controversy during their encounter as Williams started to get restless after not being able to get control of the match. She was penalized for verbal abuse for yelling at the chair umpire and also making threatening gestures at the officials. She later apologized for her behavior and was fined $2,000.
6) Issues with her clothing at the 2018 French Open
Serena Williams made quite a bit of an entrance at the 2018 French Open. The former World No. 1, who had recently become a mother, donned a black bodysuit with a red band around her waist as she took to the court for her first-round match against Kristyna Pliskova. Williams stated that she decided to wear the superhero-type outfit to be comfortable with her blood clot problem and dedicated it to all the mothers who went through a tough pregnancy period. However, the president of the French Tennis Federation banned the catsuit and said that the costume went too far in terms of their outfit limitations and that it was necessary to respect the game and the venue. Williams later made her feelings heard and stated that the decision was sexist and discriminatory.
5) Press Conference mix-up with Dominic Thiem at the French Open in 2019
Austrian tennis player Dominic Thiem was forced to shift his press conference interview to a smaller room after it was announced that Serena Williams was scheduled for her interview during his media interaction. Serena was labeled for having a bad personality for forcing Thiem to wrap up his press conference early, but in reality, it was a mistake on the organizers' part for not alloting the right timing and conference room for Thiem's media interactions.
The Austrian expressed his disagreement with the way the situation panned out during that time, but later addressed the issue graciously and had no problems with Serena Williams. In fact, he expressed his desire to play mixed doubles with the 24-time Grand Slam winner.
4) A strange injury problem in 2010
Serena Williams' season in 2010 came to an end mid-way through, after she defeated Russian tennis player Vera Zvonareva to win the Wimbledon Championships. Nobody knew why the American pulled out of most of the tournaments in the hardcourt season and also the US Open Championships in New York.
The American broke the news three months later, stating that she had experienced a brutal incident in Munich; cut tendons on her right foot when she stepped on broken glass on her way out of a restaurant. Williams was wearing sandals at the time and did not immediately realize what had happened. She had 12 stitches in her right foot and six in the bottom of her left foot. She also underwent surgery in Los Angeles to correct a drooping right toe. The former World No. 1 has not spoken openly about the incident till date.
3) Calls for foul play against Justine Henin
Serena Williams made the finals at the French Open four times in her career and emerged victorious thrice. The American couldn't get the better of Garbine Muguruza in 2016, who outfoxed her in straight sets 7-5, 6-4.
In 2003, Williams entered the tournament as the defending champion and reached the last four with impressive wins over the likes of Ai Sugiyama and Amelie Mauresmo. Her run came to an end in the semifinals when Justine Henin outlasted her in an absorbing three-set tie.
The No. 1 seed did not take her defeat well and called for foul play. At 4-2, 30-0 on Williams' serve in the third set, Henin raised her hand to indicate she was not ready to receive the serve, prompting Williams to put her serve into the net. The American thought she would be allowed to replay her first serve, but the chair umpire didn’t see Henin raise her hand and the Belgian didn’t say anything. Williams lost the next four points to lose the service game and, eventually, the match 6-2, 4-6, 7-5. She later accused Henin of lying and fabricating.
2) Controversial umpiring at the US Open in 2004
The quarterfinals encounter between Serena Williams and Jennifer Capriati at the 2004 US Open went down as one of the most infamous matches in the tournament's history. A number of line calls were wrongly judged against the former World No. 1 which eventually ended up costing her the match 6-2, 4-6, 4-6. Williams later stated in an interview that it became impossible for her to play because the officials kept calling the ball out. The American said developed a fear of hitting because every time she hit a ball they would call it out, no matter how close it was or how far it was.
1) Accusing the chair umpire for lying and stealing: US Open 2018
The 2018 US Open final against Naomi Osaka was arguably the most controversial moment of Serena Williams' tennis career. A win against the Japanese tennis player would have helped Williams equal Margaret Court's record of 24 Grand Slam titles. The 36-year-old was a heavy favorite to win, but after one hour and 19 minutes, Osaka stunned the tennis world by winning in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4.
During the trophy presentation, Osaka, who had just won her first Grand Slam title, wept openly as the angry and confused New York crowd booed and jeered inside the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
During the match, chair umpire Carlos Ramos of Portugal called for three code violations against Williams; the first for coaching, the second for racket abuse, and the third for verbal abuse. These code violations cost Williams a point and a game and never let her gain composure during the finals.
Williams repeatedly had heated arguments with Ramos during the match, calling him a liar for accusing her of cheating and a thief for stealing her point, and emphasized that she has never cheated in her career. She even demanded an apology from the chair umpire, but Ramos stood firm on his accusations. The situation got so out of hand that Williams questioned Ramos for treating her harshly only because she was a woman, and that other men have said a lot worse than what she did.
The American cooled down a bit during the presentation ceremony and even urged the crowd to appreciate Naomi Osaka for her first win at the US Open Major, but the situation had already had a lasting impact on everyone present at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. Williams was fined $17,000 for her behavior on the court.
What were some other moments from Serena Williams' career that deserve to be included in this list? Let us know in the comments.
Venus Williams and Father Richard recall one match that 7-time Grand Slam champion "should have won"
