“I wouldn’t be happy, I have too many demons still” – When Serena Williams expressed reluctance to play under controversial umpire after US Open drama

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Serena Williams once expressed reluctance to play under controversial umpire after US Open drama (Image Source: Getty)

“I wouldn’t be happy, I have too many demons still” – When Serena Williams expressed reluctance to play under controversial umpire after US Open drama

Urvi Mehra

Modified Jan 04, 2025 20:30 GMT

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Serena Williams once candidly shared her thoughts on chair umpire Mariana Alves after their contentious encounter at the 2004 US Open. The controversy was sparked by Alves’ questionable umpiring decisions during the American’s quarterfinal clash at the New York Major.

That year, third seed Williams squared off against eighth seed Jennifer Capriati in a highly anticipated battle for a semifinal spot at the US Open. After the duo split the first two sets, the match took a controversial turn in the third set when four bizarre calls all went against the third seed.

The most contentious incident took place when Mariana Alves overturned a line judge’s call that ruled Serena Williams’ backhand return in. Despite the ball clearly appearing to have landed in, the chair umpire awarded the point to Capriati, with Williams’ protests falling on deaf ears. Jennifer Capriati capitalized on the call, ultimately claiming a 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory.

The TV replays later confirmed the error, leading the US Open officials to issue an apology to Williams. Interestingly, the incident also served as a catalyst for the decision to introduce the Hawk-Eye system for more accurate line calls.

Serena Williams addressed the controversy during a press conference at the 2005 Australian Open, admitting that she would prefer if Mariana Alves didn’t umpire any of her matches in the future. The American confessed that she was still haunted by the “demons” of Alves’ umpiring, acknowledging that she had to overcome them.

“I mean, preferably I wouldn’t want her on my court, but that’s just my preference. I know I wouldn’t be happy. I have too many demons still. Maybe I have to — I have to continue to go through my rehab and try to get over it,” Serena Williams said.

Williams also disclosed that Alves defended her controversial decision when they spoke afterwards, insisting that her call was based on her perspective of the shot.

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“Oh, yeah. When I talked with her, she said she didn’t do it on purpose, and that’s just the way she saw the ball, although everyone else in the world saw it different. But that’s just — that’s way in the past, though. That’s like six months ago, four months ago,” she added.

“I never received an apology or anything” – Serena Williams on her conversation with umpire Mariana Alves

Serena Williams – Source: GettySerena Williams – Source: Getty

Serena Williams disclosed that she had confronted umpire Mariana Alves at the 2004 Generali Ladies Linz, intent on finding out what the “problem” was. The American revealed that she never received an apology despite Alves’ “outrageous” conduct in her US Open quarterfinal clash with Jennifer Capriati.

“Yeah, I talked to her because I wanted to know what the problem was, and I never received an apology or anything. So I just wanted to know was that professional not to even — because I requested a written apology or something because I just thought it was pretty much outrageous,” Serena Williams said in the same press conference.

Nevertheless, the American expressed her desire to move past the unfortunate chapter, disclosing that both she and Alves had gained a sense of closure about the situation after their conversation.

“And I didn’t even want to talk about that. I ran into some bad luck during that tournament, but that’s the past. We talked about it, and I think she was really happy afterwards because she wanted to talk to me about it. I don’t know if she could. So, yeah, I had to confront her. She was fine and we both feel better about the situation,” she added.

After her heartbreak at the 2004 US Open, Serena Williams bounced back strongly at the 2005 Australian Open with an impressive campaign. After a stellar 2-6, 7-5, 8-6 comeback win over Maria Sharapova in the semifinals, the American defeated Lindsay Davenport 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 in the final to clinch her seventh Grand Slam title.

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