Video: Serena Williams' outburst at the U.S. Open

If you haven't yet seen Serena Williams' tirade from last night's U.S. Open semifinal, here it is in real-time:

What I wrote in the reaction post last night (and which was echoed today on ESPN by John McEnroe) still stands: The foot fault call was wrong but Serena was wronger.

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1. Posted by Jonathan Sun Sep 13, 2009 3:02 pm EDT
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I don't know that I believe the little asian woman that said she'd threatened to kill her...Lol Serena is a competitor not a violent person.
2. Posted by Mercy Sun Sep 13, 2009 3:22 pm EDT
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I feel for Serena, that was a messed up call.
3. Posted by georgew Sun Sep 13, 2009 3:33 pm EDT
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bad call, another case for instant replay in all sports. The camera doesn't lie, it's impartial. There should be at least one official to make sure that these sorry calls and the after effects don't ruin the sports.
4. Posted by fkupayme Sun Sep 13, 2009 3:35 pm EDT
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Medas u are major ghetto for making that comment further your education and please do not reproduce
5. Posted by wendy Sun Sep 13, 2009 3:36 pm EDT
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why would you say she has "ghetto behaviour," because of her heritage?? very ignorant comment.
6. Posted by fkupayme Sun Sep 13, 2009 3:40 pm EDT
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Anyone making any racist comments i dare you to say any of that crap about a person or person's of another race to their face. you cowards!
7. Posted by fkupayme Sun Sep 13, 2009 3:43 pm EDT
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Serena is human everyone makes mistakes just like the lady who made the bad call she is not the only tennis player who has responded poorly for a poor call she is far from a thug
8. Posted by fkupayme Sun Sep 13, 2009 3:44 pm EDT
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Joe don't get mad get extends
9. Posted by Coach Isiah Thompson Sun Sep 13, 2009 3:45 pm EDT
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Are you kidding me? Where are we at in society today? Come after me.....I'm a man. I'm 40!
10. Posted by DAM Sun Sep 13, 2009 3:48 pm EDT
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williams sisters should leave us tennis to the foreigners. us doesn't deserve their participation after reading comments made. they have made enough money and have enough titles between them. why let the usta make money off of their play when fans dog them and make racist comments about them. the danish players and the spainards can fill seats can't they?
11. Posted by Coach Isiah Thompson Sun Sep 13, 2009 3:58 pm EDT
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I had to look up the meaning of the word "wronger".
You lie!!!
(pause) Not true.
I just "misremembered"
Discuss!
12. Posted by j_schatzel Sun Sep 13, 2009 4:00 pm EDT
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This just goes to show that there needs to be a way to challenge a foot fault call. Let's not flip out and threaten to stuff a ball down someone's f..... throat. If there is a question and there was the player should have the opportunity to see their foot on film. If your foot is on the line then you shut up and play. I can see why players don't trust the umpires, but if you look at second.s .55 and .56 in the accompanying video you can see that Serena after carefully looking and placing her foot properly for the first sevre (and hooking the serve to the left of the middle line) that she appeared to rush her second serve and you can see her foot and then toe clealy on the line. That was a very difficult call for the line judge to make, especially at that time in the match, but Serena rushed the shot and stepped on the line - that is a foot fault. Let's get our facts straight and not be reporting that it was bad call.
13. Posted by j_schatzel Sun Sep 13, 2009 4:01 pm EDT
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This just goes to show that there needs to be a way to challenge a foot fault call. Let's not flip out and threaten to stuff a ball down someone's f..... throat. If there is a question and there was the player should have the opportunity to see their foot on film. If your foot is on the line then you shut up and play. I can see why players don't trust the umpires, but if you look at second.s .55 and .56 in the accompanying video you can see that Serena after carefully looking and placing her foot properly for the first sevre (and hooking the serve to the left of the middle line) that she appeared to rush her second serve and you can see her foot and then toe clealy on the line. That was a very difficult call for the line judge to make, especially at that time in the match, but Serena rushed the shot and stepped on the line - that is a foot fault. Let's get our facts straight and not be reporting that it was bad call.
14. Posted by j_schatzel Sun Sep 13, 2009 4:01 pm EDT
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This just goes to show that there needs to be a way to challenge a foot fault call. Let's not flip out and threaten to stuff a ball down someone's f..... throat. If there is a question and there was the player should have the opportunity to see their foot on film. If your foot is on the line then you shut up and play. I can see why players don't trust the umpires, but if you look at second.s .55 and .56 in the accompanying video you can see that Serena after carefully looking and placing her foot properly for the first sevre (and hooking the serve to the left of the middle line) that she appeared to rush her second serve and you can see her foot and then toe clealy on the line. That was a very difficult call for the line judge to make, especially at that time in the match, but Serena rushed the shot and stepped on the line - that is a foot fault. Let's get our facts straight and not be reporting that it was bad call.
15. Posted by Liddy Sun Sep 13, 2009 4:06 pm EDT
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Serena you still are an awsome player. Ghetto, hell no. You haters need to get a life.
16. Posted by Liddy Sun Sep 13, 2009 4:07 pm EDT
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Serena you still are an awsome player. Ghetto, hell no. You haters need to get a life.
17. Posted by Alicia Sun Sep 13, 2009 4:13 pm EDT
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It was a bad call from that line judge and Serena had all the right reasons to get upset. It was a great match unfortunately it had to end this way.
18. Posted by DEBBIE R Sun Sep 13, 2009 4:14 pm EDT
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Serena has always walked a fine line with her attitude, in my opinion. I enjoy tennis, I enjoy watching good competition, but I don't enjoy the disrespect and avoidance I saw last night. Serena did not take any responsibility for her actions during her interview, she should have. I hope Nike drops her and her image. There is no excuse for her language and behavior. The way she walked back and forth yelling at the judge, just like no one could touch her. Incredible arrogance. She plays great tennis, and she played great last night, but her behavior is not. John M. and Jimmy C. with all their energy didn't cross the line like she did.
19. Posted by Alicia Sun Sep 13, 2009 4:14 pm EDT
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It was a bad call from that line judge and Serena had all the right reasons to get upset. It was a great match unfortunately it had to end this way.
20. Posted by Alicia Sun Sep 13, 2009 4:15 pm EDT
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It was a bad call from that line judge and Serena had all the right reasons to get upset. It was a great match unfortunately it had to end this way.
21. Posted by boss_soul Sun Sep 13, 2009 4:22 pm EDT
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What you said yesterday about the foot fault call being wrong "still stands"? In what sense? In the sense that you couldn't back that statement up yesterday, and you still can't today. By all means, link us to the video that proves it was a bad call. Oh wait... there is no video that demonstrates any such thing. So if you and the rest of the Serena Sycophants keep on repeating that it was a bad call, it will simply become fact by virtue of repetition?
You know, it's bad enough that this linesperson had to be verbally abused by a player after doing her job and making the call she was required to make, based on the rules of tennis. To have sports media smugly pretend they know better, based on no evidence whatsoever... it's an embarrassment for the sport.
22. Posted by Randy Sun Sep 13, 2009 4:24 pm EDT
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"which was echoed today on ESPN by John McEnroe)"
When I look up "poor sportsman" in Webster's New World Dictionary, two persons are pictured...Bobby Knight and John McEnroe. I guess they wanted a player and a coach as examples of what not to be.
McEnroe forfeited any right he has to make any comment regarding player behavior a long time ago. I'm a little surprised that Johnny Mac was able to make any comment through his tears.
23. Posted by mst1421 Sun Sep 13, 2009 4:33 pm EDT
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Whatever the reasons,she should know better,infront of thousands at the court and the millions watching on the tube all over the world,she shouted profanities and show the world what a person she truly is.
She might have been a champion but to me she is just do not have the class to be a truly great champion.
Shame on her as she is a role models to thousands of kids who look up to her.
Yes the line lady made a bad call,but the thats no way treat another human,for those who say its racial just wondering what if,the line lady was the player and she the one threatening and shouting profanities and serena is the line lady making the bad call,how would you all react???
24. Posted by karenlfreeman Sun Sep 13, 2009 4:45 pm EDT
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Serena has had a long and illustrious career. What happened (a bad call) was unfortunate. Her response was wrong. But it's even "wronger" that racism has to rear its ugly head in the posted comments. Serena behaved in an inappropriate manner. She was penalized. She lost the match. She took her punishment like a champion and immediately wallked over to shake Kim's hand. So why all the ugliness. She's not the first tennis player to have a tirade. It happens all the time in many different languages. While she was unsportmanlike on the court, in her press conference she was the utlimate sportsman. She gave Kim all the credit and did not make any excuses. She did not rail against or complain about any of the tournament officials. She acknowledged that she was in violation of the rules and accepted the outcome. She also explained that she had misunderstood the linesperson's statement about being threatened. The linesperson clarified that she did NOT say Serena had threatened to kill her. Therefore, they were in agreement on this point. I suggest that if you are a true tennis fan (rather than just a hater) that you gather the facts and look at the big picture, before you post your comments.
25. Posted by DAVID Sun Sep 13, 2009 4:49 pm EDT
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Serena Williams' tirade indicates that she was completely at fault. Anyone who plays sports knows that YOU NEVER want to give any official, any chance to make a call. You want to keep the game in your hands and not give the official any call, ever. Then again, was this all an act on her part to keep people from remembering that she had lost the edge in this match and appeared to be going down in just two.