General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Billie Jean King: "Thank you Serena Williams for calling out double standard-More voices needed..." [View all]jayddrew
(12 posts)Serena had no right to rip that umpire and call him a thief. That was as deep a personal insult as the implication that she was cheating. However, her point was spot on about the double standard between men and women in tennis. What happened with her was a prime example, and the episode earlier with the young lady who changed her shirt is the smoking cannon. Whether this particular umpire was aware of what he had done is beside the point, but if he has a history of this, it should be explored separately.
This should not fade - the women in tennis, current players and historic figures (King, Everett, Navratilova, Graf, etc.) need to approach all the major tennis organizations and demand this be addressed ASAP. If that means many major rule changes, from dress to behavior to coaching, so be it.