A Call for Equality and a Calm Reflection

Williams came to her postmatch news conference prepared to discuss the whole matter. One key issue was that Mouratoglou had already admitted to reporters that he was in fact coaching, contrary to her premise throughout the controversy. She said someone briefed her about it before she came in, and she texted her coach for clarification. She did not seem pleased with him.

“I’m trying to figure out why he would say that,” she said. “I don’t understand. I mean, maybe he said, ‘You can do it.’ I was on the far other end, so I’m not sure. I want to clarify, myself, what he’s talking about.”

In her final statement, after a question about what she might have changed if she could go back, Williams again invoked the sexism that she referred to on court.

“I’m here fighting for women’s rights and for women’s equality and for all kinds of stuff,” she said.

“For me to say ‘Thief’ and for him to take a game, it made me feel like it was a sexist remark. He’s never taken a game from a man because they said ‘Thief’. Then she added: “The fact that I have to go through this is just an example for the next person that has emotions, and that want to express themselves, and want to be a strong woman. They’re going to be allowed to do that because of today. Maybe it didn’t work out for me, but it’s going to work out for the next person.”