Naomi Osaka won her first grand slam title in extraordinary fashion after Serena Williams was docked a game during an ongoing row with umpire Carlos Ramos.
Williams was unhappy to be given a warning for receiving coaching from Patrick Mouratoglou. She then forfeited a point after a second warning for smashing her racket and continued arguing with Ramos, resulting in the Portuguese official penalising her a game when she called him a thief.
That left Osaka leading by a set and 5-3, and the 20-year-old served out the victory 6-2 6-4 to become the first Japanese player to win a grand slam singles title.
Picture of the day
The star of the show has been once again the chair umpire. Second time in this US Open and third time for Serena in a US Open Final. Should they be allowed have an influence on the result of a match ? When do we decide that this should never happen again ?
— PMo (@pmouratoglou) September 8, 2018
Women in the chair
Looking forward to watching a fantastic women’s final @usopen today. And tomorrow, for the second time in history, a woman (Alison Hughes of the UK) will chair the #USOpen men’s singles final. ?
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) September 8, 2018
Ramos is the most high-profile umpire of the moment but he is also the only man to lead the officiating at one of the tournament’s five major finals this year.
Britain’s Alison Hughes has been given the role for the men’s singles final while Louise Azemar Engzell oversaw the men’s doubles, Marija Cicak will umpire the women’s doubles and Marijana Veljovic sat in the chair for the mixed doubles.
Doubles going to the ball
Jumping for joy. @matteksands @jamie_murray US Open champions. ??? pic.twitter.com/diBnK3NJQO
— judy murray (@JudyMurray) September 8, 2018
Jamie Murray won his sixth grand slam title by lifting the mixed doubles trophy with American Bethanie Mattek-Sands. As part of the ATP player council, Murray has been pushing for better recognition for doubles.
He said: “I think things have improved a lot in doubles the last few years. But we need to keep pushing for more, keep showcasing it as a great part of tennis, not just kind of like the ugly stepsister for singles.”
Sunday highlights
The Hewett fist pump continues. A battle out there on court, but couldn’t be happier to come through and make it into my 2nd @usopen singles final pic.twitter.com/V1UBzwNcO4
— Alfie Hewett (@alfiehewett6) September 8, 2018
US Open officials will no doubt hope tennis does the talking when Novak Djokovic and Juan Martin del Potro face off for the men’s title.
Djokovic is looking to make it back-to-back slam crowns and equal Pete Sampras’ tally of 14 major titles while Del Potro is playing in his first final since winning here as a 20-year-old in 2009.
Alfie Hewett will attempt to win his second grand slam singles title when he takes on Japanese top seed Shingo Kunieda in the wheelchair final.