Tennis player Serena Williams may still regret her outburst during United States Open final against Naomi Osaka in 2018, but that smashed racket “Wilson Blade,” which she broke in anger, is now up for auction. It is expected to sell for $50,000. It will be on sale starting Monday by Goldin Auctions. The tennis racket is being displayed for opening bid of $2,000, but the price is expected to go high by Dec. 7. “I think the low end would be $10,000, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it goes to $25,000 or $50,000,” said Ken Goldin, the founder of Goldin Auctions, The New York Times reported.
Key Takeaways:
- The racket that Serena Williams destroyed while playing during her 2018 US Open Final in which she was defeated by Naomi Osaka is up for auction and can go up to $50,000
- Serena destroyed the racket during an heated argument with umpire Carlos Ramos, who she had accused of sexism
- “I think the low end would be $10,000, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it goes to $25,000 or $50,000,” said Ken Goldin, the founder of Goldin Auctions
- The racket came into the auction from a ball boy whom Serena gave the racket to after the match. She never trashed it.
The racket is one of 1,600 items came into the auction. In September 2018, Serena was fighting for her second Grand Slam final of the year. She made a grand return to Grand Slam competition in Paris a year before that after missing five majors because of the birth of her first child. The 23-time Grand Slam champion overcame a slow start after returning to the tour following her daughter’s birth, but relentlessly engaged in an argument with umpire Carlos Ramos, who had accused him of sexism. As a result, a furious Serena broke the racket in the second set against Osaka.
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Serena Williams argues with umpire Carlos Ramos. PC: Vox
Earlier this year, the 23 Grand Slam winner Serena spoke up, after consulting a therapist on the infamous 2018 US Open final meltdown, when she realised that she had robbed Naomi Osaka a chance to celebrate her maiden title win. Serena feels guilty of being unfair to Osaka.
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Serena wrote a heartfelt letter confessing to Naomi Osaka, to which the 21-year-old Japanese player responded with a beautiful message. She applauded the seven-time Wimbledon champion for her bravery and praised the manner in which Serena stood for herself.
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A disappointed Williams at US Open. PC US Open Championships/Twitter
In her essay published in the US magazine Harpers Bazaar, Serena recalled, “When Naomi’s response came through, tears rolled down my face. ‘People can misunderstand anger for strength because they can’t differentiate between the two,’ she said graciously. ‘No one has stood up for themselves the way you have and you need to continue trailblazing.’”
Osaka secured her first two Grand Slams at the US and Australian Open since her last outing on a grass court
During Serena’s outburst at the US Open, she had accused the chair umpire to be a “liar” and a “thief.” Naomi had won the game defeating Serena 6-2, 6-4 to triumph in her first major in September last year. However, Serena engaged in a controversy with chair umpire Carlos Ramos. For the misbehaviour on court, she was handed a code violation for coaching, docked a point for smashing her racquet and penalised a game for verbal abuse.
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Serena Apologised To Naomi Osaka. Her Response Is Winning Hearts!
Serena went on to write in the essay: “It was in this moment that I realised the real reason the US Open was so hard for me to get over: It wasn’t because of the backlash I faced but rather because of what had happened to the young woman who deserved so much more in her special moment. I had felt that it was my fault and that I should have kept my mouth closed. But now, seeing her text putting everything in perspective, I realised she was right.”
“Ultimately, my daughter is the reason I use my voice, the reason I picked up a racket again,” she added.
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Feature Image Credit: The New York Times
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