re: It would be refreshing to see Serena Suspended for her actions.

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But when Williams reacts like a human when she is being treated unfairly, or when her character is maligned, she is seen as egregiously unruly. 

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No matter how many times she twirls girlishly with her trophies, she’s never dainty enough. She’s never white enough. 

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What’s more worrisome, though, is that Ramos’ disciplinary grandstanding from, quite literally, on high also served a more chilling purpose, whether it was intentional or not. His refusal to respect Williams as an honest competitor doubled as a public and humiliating warning to the young Osaka, whose Haitian father famously decided to recreate Richard Williams’ training philosophy with his own daughters.

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“I know that everyone was cheering for her, and I’m sorry it had to end like this,” Osaka said before the trophy ceremony, her words blasting through the PA system at Arthur Ashe Stadium. “I just want to say thank you for watching the match.”

In that moment, through sheer human decency and compassion, Williams was forced to shift from the role of competitor, the role that still inspires disgust and discomfort in so many whenever Williams reminds them of it, to something far less threatening: that of mother. She consoled Osaka and instructed a disappointed crowd to show some respect.

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