Serena Williams maintains she did not receive coaching during US Open women’s final

SERENA Williams has broken her silence on the US Open women’s final saga maintaining her stance that female players should be held on a level playing field to their male counterparts and that she did not receive coaching.

Serena Williams argues with chair umpire Carlos Ramos

SERENA Williams has maintained her stance that female players should be held on a level playing field to their male counterparts and that she did not receive coaching in her controversial US Open defeat.

Speaking for the first time since her explosive US Open final loss to Naomi Osaka, the 23-time grand slam champion maintained that she and coach Patrick Mouratoglou do not share a secret communication method when she is on court.

Williams, 36, split opinion following her on-court heated dispute with chair umpire Carlos Ramos following a code violation for coaching.

Serena Williams argues with chair umpire Carlos Ramos

She labelled him a “thief” before being stripped of a game, with Osaka winning her first grand slam title with a 6-2 6-4 victory.

Williams later claimed it was a gender issue and that she is “fighting for women’s rights and women’s equality” and that she was a trailblazer for female tennis players to follow her.

And she has maintained that female players should be treated the same as men’s competitors.

“I just don’t understand … if you’re a female you should be able to do even half of what a guy can do,” she told The Project.

But she was adamant that she and Mouratoglou – who admitted to coaching after the match – had not shared any information.

Beyond inspired to interview the G.O.A.T @serenawilliams yesterday in #Vegas for the https://t.co/dtuIui0iQS conference!

If there’s one thing we agree on... coaching feedback should not be feared but embraced! It keeps you ahead of the people chasing you from behind!#LadyBoss pic.twitter.com/AiW89686KF

— Sarah Robb O'Hagan (@ExtremeSRO) September 15, 2018

“He said he made a motion,” she said.

“I don’t understand what he was talking about. We’ve never had signals.”

The full interview – which early previews indicate includes Williams being asked whether she regrets her actions – will be shown next Sunday night.

Earlier on Sunday - in one of her first public appearances since the saga at Flushing Meadows - Williams spoke at an event in Las Vegas, Nevada where she reiterated her belief in speaking up for issues that are close to your heart.

‘I feel it’s really important to stand up for what you believe in,” she said. “Especially if it can affect the future and affect a lot of people in the future. That’s what it’s all about.

“Really it’s just about having a great team and rolling up your sleeves and hard work.

”I work really, really hard at my game. And then I work super hard at my fashion business. And I’m working incredibly hard at being a mom.”

Serena Williams talks with referee Brian Earley during the women's final of the U.S. Open