US Open officials apologize after sexist shirt removal row
August 29, 2018
US Open bosses have apologized after wrongly sanctioning French player Alize Cornet for removing her shirt, while male players were allowed to remove theirs. The tournament has so far been played in blistering heat.
Image: picture-alliance/abaca/C. Dubreuil
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Cornet (top) was initially punished for switching attire, after realizing she had put her shirt on back to front while off court during a 10-minute heat break before the third set of her first round defeat against Sweden's Johanna Larsson on Tuesday. Larsson plays Germany's Angelique Kerber in round two on Thursday.
With temperatures hitting 38 degrees, several men changed shirts during their matches, including Novak Djokovic (below), leading to a wave of criticism for umpire Christian Rask's decision to issue a code violation to 28-year-old Cornet.
"All players can change their shirts when sitting in the player chair. This is not considered a code violation," said organisers in a statement issued in response on Wednesday.
"We regret that a code violation was assessed to Ms. Cornet yesterday. We have clarified the policy to ensure this will not happen moving forward. Fortunately, she was only assessed a warning with no further penalty or fine.
"Female players, if they choose, may also change their shirts in a more private location close to the court, when available. They will not be assessed a bathroom break in this circumstance."
The tennis tournament was widely accused of double standards over the Cornet incident, especially as it came just days after the French Open said it would ban Serena Williams from wearing her 'Black Panther' bodysuit again at Roland Garros.
"You have to respect the game and the place," said French tennis federation (FFT) president Bernard Giudicelli who added there will be "certain limits" on clothing for the 2019 French Open.
mp (Reuters, AP)
US Open: The big one in the Big Apple
"If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere," as Frank Sinatra once put it. This statement could just as easily be applied to the loudest, most demanding tennis tournament in the world, the US Open.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Samad
The sky is the limit
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Image: Getty Images/A. Bello
Arthur Ashe
Arthur Ashe used a wooden racket when he played in the Forest Hills stadium in Queens, New York in 1965. In 1978, the tournament moved to its larger site at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows. The main court, which holds more than 22,000 spectators, is named after Athur Ashe.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo
Pete could do with a bucket...
The matches can be long and the weather is usually hot and humid. This can take a toll on the players. In 1996, a few minutes after this picture was shot, the great Pete Sampras actually threw up on the court during his match against Alex Corretja. We could have shown you that, but you didn’t really want to see it, did you?
Image: Getty Images/S. Botterill
Quiet please!
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Image: imago/UPI Photo
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Image: Getty Images/J. Finney
"I didn't say that!"
…ran to the net and told the match referee, who called the head referee. He ordered Williams’ semifinal match against Kim Clijsters abandoned and awarded it to the Belgian. It was widely reported that Williams had threatened to shove a tennis ball down the line judge’s throat, something that the American denied having said.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/T.A. Clary
Cramp-plagued Marcos Baghdatis
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Image: Getty Images/AFP/D. Emmert
Andre's second-last match
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Stefanie Graf's backhand
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A happy Angie Kerber
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Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Cj Gunther
Can't forget Jimmy
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Boris won here too...
Here’s another guy we can’t forget. This is Boris Becker after beating Ivan Lendl 7-6, 1-6, 6-3, 7-6 in the 1989 final. The often ill-tempered Lendl went on to become a cool golfer and even cooler coach. Becker is still his happy-go-lucky self. Last year he was appointed the "head of men’s tennis" by the German Tennis Association (DTB).
Image: Imago/Norbert Schmidt
Legendary support
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