Australian Open chief calls for clarity on coaching rules
Australian Open director Craig Tiley believes Serena Williams' US Open final debacle could have been avoided with a consensus on courtside coaching.
Tennis needs clarity on its coaching rules in order to prevent incidents like that which saw Serena Williams row with an umpire at the US Open, according to Australian Open director Craig Tiley.
Williams lost 6-2 6-4 to Naomi Osaka in Saturday's final, but she was distracted by an argument with the officials after being given a code violation for on-court coaching.
The heated discussion escalated from there and the 23-time grand slam champion, who denied having been coached, was ultimately docked a game as she called chair umpire Carlos Ramos a "liar" and a "thief".
On-court coaching is prohibited in grand slams but allowed on the WTA Tour, leading Tiley to conclude that these muddled laws contributed to the chaos.
"It all centred around coaching. The sport has to really get itself sorted out on what it does with coaching," Tiley said.
"Are we going to have coaching? Are we not going to have coaching? What is it going to look like? The sport needs to get together and sort it out.
"Once that's sorted out, we don't have the issue."
Williams was fined $17,000 for her role in the saga, although the WTA has backed the American great following her accusations of sexism in Ramos' decision-making.