Serena Williams' Unpleasant French Open Experience: Political Atmosphere?

In summary,Serena Williams was heckled by the French during her match against Henin-Hardenne. The crowd was primarily French and they cheered when Williams had a serving fault or missed a ball. Williams lost the match and it is still unclear whether the French treatment of Williams was justified.

What do you think about the French treatment of Serena Williams at the French Open?

  • The French audience was justified

    Votes: 4 57.1%
  • The French audience was not justified

    Votes: 3 42.9%

  • Total voters
    7
  • #1
Sting
157
2
There may be a topic on this already (in which case I'll lock tjis topic), but did any of you watch the French Open match between Williams and Henin-Hardenne?

The crowd was really heckling Williams after Williams questioned two of the judge's calls. The predominately French crowd cheered when Williams would miss or have a serving fault. Ultimately, Williams lost and the question is whether the crowd treatment was a factor (which is no offense to Henin-Hardenne because she is a great player. Being in the French Open alone should tell something).

Initially, the French response would be considered uncalled for and against protocol but I remember reading an article a week or two before the French Open where Williams is clearly mocking the French with a mock French accent saying "We don't want to play in the war; we want to make clothes." (taken from http://espn.go.com/tennis/french03/s/2003/0605/1563841.html [Broken] which also read on two separate articles that I will try to find ASAP)

So then I question "did she ask for that treatment?"

The statement obviously had political connotations, so that line between sports and politics has blurred a bit.

Do you think the French treatment of Serena Williams after her apparent mocking of the French was justified or do you think that
French had no right to act that way towards Williams?
 
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  • #2
I notice that these questions are usually only asked in one direction. She was NOT censured for her rudeness towards the French, yet people ask if the French should be called out on their treatment of her. She's an 'away' player making fun of the home crowd, and she got what she should have expected.
 
  • #3
Originally posted by Zero
I notice that these questions are usually only asked in one direction. She was NOT censured for her rudeness towards the French, yet people ask if the French should be called out on their treatment of her. She's an 'away' player making fun of the home crowd, and she got what she should have expected.
Agreed. I hadn't heard about her commments, and its impossible to know whether or not the French would still have been mean to her, but either way, it doesn't matter. This really isn't an important issue to me (even though I am a tennis fan).
 
  • #4
France is hell and the French are the demons !
 
  • #5
Originally posted by drag
France is hell and the French are the demons !

Wow...did your mommy help you think that up?

See if you can contribute something next time.
 
  • #6
I'm trying to find the actual articles where it mentioned Serena's comment. Reading it for the first time didn't strike me but reading and watching with my own two eyes the reaction at the French Open reminded me of her earlier statement and wondering whether it had anything to do with the reaction.

It may have nothing to do with the reaction. It could simply be the political atmosphere at the moment, it could be both, or it could be that the French are simply not Serena William fans [??]
 
  • #7
Originally posted by Zero
Wow...did your mommy help you think that up?
Nope. I was inspired by another member's style. :wink:
Originally posted by Zero
See if you can contribute something next time.
I am !
I'm:
1. Making a pointless and humorous (partially )comment
to imphasize the distaste I feel for this discussion.
2. Cooling down by letting out some steam due to
my warm feelings towards France.
3. Increasing my post count.
4. Increasing the size of PF.
5. Expressing a provocative perspective (not mine).

Hey, I'm not the only one who does that and it's
a matter of perspective after all. :wink:

Peace and long life.
 
  • #8
Originally posted by drag
Hey, I'm not the only one who does that..
No. No one else does any of that. Certainly not me and certainly not Zero...
 
  • #9
i personally haven't heard about this until now.

if you go to your home team's games, whether its baseball, football, etc, there's going to be a fair amount of heckling. and when a public figure mocks your team/city/country, you're going to heckle more, because it hits a nerve with you.

with tennis's growing popularity, it's becoming less of a game for rich snobs with sweaters that sip tea at their country clubs. i play competitively (just high school level) and I've run into some bad fans of my own, mostly kids from another school. tennis needs a new crop of fans, a new level of excitement, and bad fans are just a side effect.

i wish people with the mic would stop criticizing others using uneducated/stereotypical (maybe even bigoted in a way) comments. it makes the rest of the world hate all americans.

also, serena seems to treat tennis as half game/half wardrobe herself.

finally, if the french had gone to war with us, we'd probably still be mocking them one way or another.
 
  • #10
Originally posted by drag
Nope. I was inspired by another member's style. :wink:

I am !
I'm:
1. Making a pointless and humorous (partially )comment
to imphasize the distaste I feel for this discussion.
2. Cooling down by letting out some steam due to
my warm feelings towards France.
3. Increasing my post count.
4. Increasing the size of PF.
5. Expressing a provocative perspective (not mine).

Hey, I'm not the only one who does that and it's
a matter of perspective after all. :wink:

Peace and long life.

Oh...I didn't realize this was a humor thread...my mistake?
 
  • #11
Oh, and I object to the phasing of the original post...'the French' didn't boo her, a crowd of fans in France did.
 
  • #12
I am almost certain this was not "political booing", rather a general dislike of her and her attitude. Most peeople I speak to in this country don't like her at all (she went on to practically call Henin a cheat afterwards).

The French are known as being pretty harsh tennis fans.
 
  • #13
I was watching a game of the NBA finals -- the first one I've seen in years -- and I was very surprised to hear every one of New Jersey's starting players loudly booed as they were introduced (the game was in San Antonio.) Maybe rude fans are just becoming more commonplace.
 
  • #14
Oh, and I object to the phasing of the original post...'the French' didn't boo her, a crowd of fans in France did.

Good point. I changed it without changing the original context of the poll.
 
  • #15
Originally posted by Sting
Good point. I changed it without changing the original context of the poll.
Thanks, boss...
 
  • #16
Originally posted by damgo
I was watching a game of the NBA finals -- the first one I've seen in years -- and I was very surprised to hear every one of New Jersey's starting players loudly booed as they were introduced (the game was in San Antonio.) Maybe rude fans are just becoming more commonplace.
You've never seen a game of anything in Philadelpha, have you? We booed the Pope. No, really.
 

1. What happened during Serena Williams' French Open experience?

During the 2018 French Open, Serena Williams faced a series of events that ultimately led to her losing the final match against Naomi Osaka. This included a code violation for coaching, another for racket abuse, and a third for verbal abuse towards the umpire.

2. What was the political atmosphere like during the French Open?

The political atmosphere during the 2018 French Open was tense due to the ongoing controversy surrounding the enforcement of dress codes for female players. This was further exacerbated by the presence of French Tennis Federation President, Bernard Giudicelli, who had made comments about banning Serena Williams' catsuit before the tournament.

3. Was Serena Williams' experience at the French Open unique?

No, unfortunately, Serena Williams' experience at the French Open was not unique. Many female players have faced discrimination and double standards in the sport of tennis, particularly when it comes to their attire and behavior on the court.

4. How did the public and media react to Serena Williams' experience?

The public and media had mixed reactions to Serena Williams' experience at the French Open. Some defended her actions and criticized the umpire's decisions, while others believed she should have handled the situation differently. Overall, there was a lot of discussion and debate surrounding the incident.

5. Has there been any action taken as a result of Serena Williams' experience?

Yes, the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) has since introduced a new rule that allows players to change their outfits mid-match without penalty. Additionally, the French Tennis Federation has clarified their dress code policy to allow for more flexibility and individual expression. However, there is still much work to be done in addressing the larger issue of gender inequality in the sport.

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