The umpire at the centre of the Serena Williams sexism scandal has spoken publicly for the first time since Saturday's US Open final.

Talking to Tribuna Expresso in his native Portugal, Carlos Ramos said: "I'm fine, given the circumstances. It's a delicate situation, but 'à la carte' arbitration does not exist. Do not worry about me!"

Ramos's handling of the final has split the tennis world in two, with the initial criticism he faced counter-balanced with support from former officials and players.

Among the most vocal critics were the United States Tennis Association (USTA) president Katrina Adams and the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) CEO Steve Simon - both of whom backed Williams' accusations of sexism against Ramos. But Ramos has received widespread support from former officials and was publicly backed by his employer the International Tennis Federation (ITF) on Monday.

The ITF's belated support reflected the growing consensus that Ramos handled the situation impressively in what were very difficult circumstances.