NEW YORK (Reuters) - Issues of sexism, officiating double standards and adverse playing conditions have dominated the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Open, raising uncomfortable questions and prompting authorities to promise a review of existing policies.
Chair umpires took center stage at Flushing Meadows this year, more than at any other tournament in recent memory, and culminated with Serena Williams being reduced to tears at her treatment in the women's final.
Her conduct, which earned her a game penalty during Saturday's defeat by Naomi Osaka, and her comments that a male player would not have been penalized in the same way, have split the tennis world.
While Williams was fined a total of $17,000 by the tournament referees' office for the three code violations she received from Portuguese umpire Carlos Ramos, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) also said it would review its policies in the wake of various officiating controversies.
Swedish umpire Mohamed Lahyani was reprimanded by the USTA for going "beyond protocol" when he climbed down from his chair to give Nick Kyrgios a pep talk during his second-round match against Pierre-Hugues Herbert.
Umpire Christian Rask was also criticized after he gave Frenchwoman Alize Cornet a code violation for removing her shirt on court after she realized she had put it on back-to-front in the locker room during a mid-match heat break.
All that pales in comparison to the furor surrounding Williams, who was given a game penalty for accusing chair umpire Carlos Ramos of being a "liar" and "a thief for stealing a point" from her in the women's final.