Even the best can make mistakes.
Roger Federer says Serena Williams "went too far" berating chair umpire Carlos Ramos as "a thief" for "stealing" a game from her during her straight-sets loss to Naomi Osaka in the US Open final.
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In a new interview with The Sunday Times, Federer said the 23-time Grand Slam champion should have walked away to defuse her disagreement with the chair umpire.
"I feel like Serena should have walked away," Federer told The Sunday Times. "She did, but she went too far. She should have walked earlier."
Federer, who called Serena the GOAT in an interview earlier this year, said he felt her actions were "a little bit excusable" given the circumstances.
Initially hit with a code violation warning for gestures coach Patrick Mouratoglou made early in the second set, Williams splattered her Wilson Blade to the court incurring a point penalty during the second set of the US Open final.
Incensed by what she perceived as a question to her integrity, Williams demanded an apology on the changeover berating the veteran ump as "a thief" for "stealing" a point from her.
Those comments resulted in the game penalty for verbal abuse.
"Say you're sorry, say you're sorry," Williams told Ramos. "Then don't talk to me. How dare you insinuate that I was cheating and you stole a point from me! You're a thief too."
Ramos responded with a clear "Code violation, verbal abuse Mrs. Williams."
Teetering on the edge of erupting in tears, Williams called for tournament referee Brian Earley, who ruled Ramos followed protocol issuing first the warning, then the point penalty and then the game penalty that put Osaka up 5-3.