Serena Williams has made a cameo appearance in medical drama ER and lists acting as a hobby, but she does not need to rely on a script to produce her own drama.
Controversy has a way of following the American round on the tennis circuit and on Saturday wide-eyed fans at the French Open witnessed the latest episode on Friday.
“I’m drama, and I don’t want to be drama,” Williams said after reaching the fourth round with an ill-tempered 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez.
“I’m beginning to think it’s me because I do have a lot of drama, and it’s always something, whether it’s my life with friends, with anybody. It’s like I have the most dramatic life. It’s so ridiculous,” Williams said.
She labeled Martinez Sanchez a “cheat” on Saturday for not admitting a shot at break point down in the fifth game of the first set rebounded off her arm. It proved to be the pivotal moment of the first set as Martinez Sanchez went on to win it.
Williams was not happy.
“The rules of tennis are when the ball hits your body, then it’s out of play. You lose a point automatically. So the ball hit her body, and therefore, she should have lost the point instead of cheating,” said Williams. “It was clearly my point ... I’ve never sunk low.”
At least on this occasion the American won the match. In 2003, a sobbing Williams accused Justine Henin of “lying and fabricating” following a controversial semi-final defeat at Roland Garros.
A year later, the American lost a hotly contested quarter-final with compatriot Jennifer Capriati at the US Open after being on the receiving end of several bad line calls.
The incident led to umpire Mariana Alves, who made an incorrect overrule, being removed from officiating duties from the championships that year while US Open officials apologized to Williams.
“Every time you look around, it’s like I mean, there was an incident with Justine, and then there was another incident with Jennifer Capriati. Always some drama,” the 2002 Paris champion said.
“Even in Australia this year I had a bad call, and I was just like, why? I’m like one of those girls on a reality show that has all the drama, and everyone in the house hates them because no matter what they do, drama follows them,” she said. “I don’t want to be that girl.”
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