One year after Serena Williams lost to Naomi Osaka in the 2018 U.S. Open finals, the 37-year-old athlete is opening up about the “excruciating” match for the very first time.
Williams recently penned a powerful essay in Harper’s Bazaar’s August 2019 issue, in which she revealed how her experience has changed her mindset about tennis.
“This incident—though excruciating for us to endure—exemplified how thousands of women in every area of the workforce are treated every day,” she wrote. “We are not allowed to have emotions, we are not allowed to be passionate. We are told to sit down and be quiet, which frankly, is just not something I’m OK with. It’s shameful that our society penalized women just for being themselves.”
Williams is referring to the several violations she endured over the course of the match, including “cheating allegations” and “verbal abuse” with the umpire. Although it took a toll on her emotions, the athlete admitted that her biggest regret is letting her experience overshadow Osaka’s success.