Serena Williams burns the house down as Naomi Osaka’s brilliance is forgotten

Only Serena Williams herself knows whether her shocking meltdown at the end of the most controversial US Open final ever staged – in which she was beaten by the brilliant 20-year-old Naomi Osaka – was down to a surrender to emotion or, as she framed it in the chaotic aftermath, an impassioned stand against sexism. What could be more unsettling for Williams, who turns 37 this month, than watching another opportunity to tie Margaret Court’s record for grand slam titles slipping from her grasp when there’s no telling how many more chances lie ahead? Williams simply didn’t have answers on Saturday afternoon for the demands put forth by Osaka.