Roger Federer
Roger Federer remained quite neutral discussing the Serena Williams row during the 2018 US Open women's singles final. In this picture, Federer of Switzerland during his quarterfinal match against Kei Nishikori of Japan on Day 5 of the Rolex Paris Masters on Nov. 2, 2018, in Paris. Justin Setterfield/Getty Images

Roger Federer has revisited the infamous Serena Williams meltdown during the 2018 US Open women’s singles final between the American and Naomi Osaka.

The Japanese went on to clinch a deserved straight sets victory over the 23-time women’s singles Grand Slam champion but the focus was not on the 21-year-old’s achievement of becoming the first player from the Asian nation to win a major title.

The entire focus post-match was on Williams’ meltdown after she received three code violations and was docked a game in the second set.

The American was given code violations for on-court coaching, breaking a racket and then calling the chair umpire a "liar" and a "thief" for his decision to penalize her for receiving coaching.

Williams was incensed with chair umpire Carlos Ramos and accused him of being sexist by suggesting the male tennis players were allowed to get off with way worse. It started a debate with former and current players wading in with their opinions.

A number of players on the women’s tour (WTA) backed the chair umpire, while a few sided with Williams. Federer has again revisited the incident and while he felt the American did "go too far" with her actions, he believes the official also played a role in taking her there.

The Swiss tennis legend believes the incident can be used as a case study to further understand the rules and he even compared the incident to other sports, namely the Ultimate Fighting Championships UFC.

“It’s a melange of all things, but at some point, I feel like Serena should have walked away,” Federer said, as quoted on Tennis World USA. “She did, but she went too far. She should have walked earlier. It’s a little bit excusable. ... The umpire maybe should not have pushed her there. It’s unfortunate, but an incredible case study.”

“You see the UFC guy [the boxer Conor McGregor] throw a railing, or in other sports, they spit and swear at each other on a regular basis. I dove into the situation with Serena on so many levels, to understand the umpire, Osaka, Serena, the crowd,” the Swiss ace added.

The 20-time men’s singles Grand Slam champion also criticized the dress code rules at tournaments, referring to the 2018 US Open when French player Alize Cornet was penalized for rectifying her top by taking it off for a brief moment while on court.

He also believes banning the "catsuit" which Williams wore during the French Open this year was also "nonsense" and believes the women tennis players in these incidents were treated wrongly.

“What was the problem with taking the T-shirt off, or the catsuit? Serena has worn crazier stuff in the past,” Federer said. “Guys have worn crazier stuff. It was a big deal when Tommy Haas wore a sleeveless top at the US Open and then, all of a sudden, it was allowed. For me, it was a bit of nonsense. Just chill out for a second. I was totally on the women’s side,” he added. “Leave them alone. They are not coming on court wearing wings.”

RELATED STORIES