Male Tennis Pros Confirm Serena’s Penalty Was Sexist and Admit to Saying Worse on the Court

Serena Williams is facing sexism in tennis once again, this time, after a controversial loss to bright newcomer Naomi Osaka at the U.S. Open Women’s Final on Saturday.

Chair umpire Carlos Ramos is in hot water after making questionable calls against Serena during the match. Ramos accused the tennis star of cheating by illegal coaching, which Williams vehemently denied. The umpire gave Serena a costly game penalty anyway, with Serena calling him a ‘thief’ and demanding an apology.

After the match, Williams told reporters that Ramos’ calls were clearly rooted in sexism. “I’m here fighting for women’s rights and women’s equality. And for me to say ‘thief’ and for him to take a game, made me feel like it was a sexist remark. He’s never taken a game from a man, because he said thief. For me, it blew my mind.”

The incident has caught headlines everywhere, with many voicing their displeasure online. Among those disappointed are male tennis pros James Blake and Andy Roddick, who confirmed the bias and backed Serena’s stance. Both took to their Twitter accounts and admitted to saying worse on the court with no penalty. Serena not only received a penalty, but also got slapped with a $17,000 fine for three code violations.

Tennis counterpart Victoria Azarenka also backed Williams while live-tweeting the match and recognized the apparent inequality.