Leo Schlink: Tennis great Martina Navratilova serves Serena Williams an overdue dose of reality

FOUR days after smearing Carlos Ramos with self-serving petulance, Serena Williams has been served an overdue dose of reality by Martina Navratilova, Leo Schlink writes.

FOUR days after smearing Carlos Ramos with self-serving petulance, Serena Williams has been served an overdue dose of reality by Martina Navratilova.

Navratilova, winner of 18 singles majors, has watched Williams – and her sycophants – play the victim card on an unprecedented scale in the wake of her childish US Open meltdown.

Nobody, not even Australia’s finest cartoonist Mark Knight, has been immune.

The backlash has been global.

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Serena Williams argues with the chair umpire during a match against Naomi Osaka, of Japan, during the women's finals of the U.S. Picture: AP.

No male, regardless of age or colour, has been off-limits as Williams and her posse take aim at “the haters.”

Critical women also have been singled out and accused of jealously belittling the “GOAT” (greatest of all time).

The trouble for Serena and her slavish minions is that the facts — including the rule book — speak louder than her outrage.

Ramos implemented the rules strictly in accordance with how they were written.

He gave Williams a warning because her coach Patrick Mouratoglou was repeatedly seen signalling to his client. It is illegal whether Williams sees it or not.

Ramos then penalised Williams a point for destroying a racquet and then a game for calling him a “thief” and a “liar”. Both actions are illegal.

As hapless Naomi Osaka weathered Williams’ boorishness and still managed to win her first major, Navratilova — and millions around the world — were appalled.

One of the all-time tennis greats, passionate about myriad humanitarian causes, Navratilova has never been afraid to call out wrongs.

Writing for the New York Times, Navratilova contradicted the grovelling statements of US Tennis Association president Katrina Adams and WTA boss Steven Simon by saying Williams behaved in a way “that no-one should be engaging in on the court.”

Declaring imagined claims of sexism and racism off the mark, Navratilova said: “Had I behaved like that on a tennis court, I would have expected to get everything that happened to Serena.

“There have been many times when I was playing that I wanted to break my racquet into a thousand pieces.

“Then I thought about the kids watching. And I grudgingly held on to that racquet.”

Like Williams, Navratilova is a strong, successful woman who has dealt with body shaming, racism and sexism, having being cruelly outed as a lesbian long before she was ready to come out.

Williams haughtingly accused Ramos of persecuting her on Sunday.

She had similar clashes at Flushing Meadows in 2009 and ‘11. On all three occasions she was on her way to defeat.

Williams also claimed men get away with far more. Male players routinely rack up more fines at the majors than women.

John McEnroe, Jeff Tarango and David Nalbandian have been disqualified mid-match.

Fabio Fognini was fined $123,000 for calling Swedish umpire Louise Engzell a “whore” at the 2017 US Open.

Williams was fined $24,000 for labelling Ramos a “thief” and a “liar.”

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