This previous weekend, the finals for the U.S. Open erupted in controversy and calls of racism.

In the final match, Serena Williams and Japan's Naomi Osaka faced off. But a controversy that erupted after Williams was accused of cheating (after her coach made a hand gesture that was interpreted as coaching), led to Osaka's historic win being laced with anti-Black racism.

Since the match, many have spoken about the ways that the racism has affected how Williams has been treated, post-match. Tennis legend Billie Jean King took to Twitter to show support to Williams, though King's focus of the incident highlighted the issue of gender and unequal treatment of female athletes in sports, rather than the impact of racism and how it interconnects with sexism:

King also penned an essay with the Washington Post that expanded on the ways that Williams, in particular, is treated differently than other athletes because of her identity. "What was supposed to be a memorable moment for tennis, with Serena Williams, perhaps the greatest player of all time, facing off against Naomi Osaka, the future of our sport, turned into another example of people in positions of power abusing that power," King wrote.

The double standard of the treatment of female athletes as compared to their male peers is telling, no matter the sport.