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Carlos Ramos

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Scapegoat

The Resume

    (1971- )
    Born in Lisbon, Portugal
    Tennis umpire
    Gold Badge ITF Chair certified
    Publicly clashed with Serena Williams after issuing her multiple in-game violations at the 2018 U.S. Open women's singles final (Sept. 9, 2018)
    Penalty call was criticized by Billie Jean King, Ellen DeGeneres, The Women's Tennis Association, and Kelly Rowland

Why he might be annoying:

    He has a reputation for issuing violations to (high-profile) tennis players for objecting to his penalties.
    His insistence on strict adherence to rules earned him the nickname 'the stickler' on the tennis court.
    For instance, he issued two warnings to Roger Federer for slow play and pressured him about his coaching.
    He has been accused of treating plays differently for the same violation depending on the player.
    Serena Williams claimed that he only issued his series of violations because she was a minority woman. Venus Williams also publicly excoriated him.
    As a result of their confrontation, Serena received a $17,000 citation (which technically wouldn't amount to more than a parking ticket for the tennis star).
    More importantly, the coverage of the argument overshadowed the come-from-behind win by young newcomer Naomi Osaka, who was loudly booed after winning.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He is known as of the few umpires who is unafraid to call a rules violation against elite players.
    He is the only person to have chair umpired a singles finals match in all four of the Grand Slam tournaments.
    Serena Williams openly called him a liar and 'a thief.'
    Serena’s coach Patrick Mouratoglou admitted that he was coaching illegally from the stands (which was the initial violation).
    The immediate backlash he received from the incident resulted in his being escorted off the court early (where normally the umpire remains to the end of the award ceremony).
    He was accused of being a sexist despite clearly being a hardline umpire to players of both genders (he has issued tough calls for Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray - both men).
    He was defended by the International Tennis Federation, which stated that he 'undertook his duties as an official according to the relevant rule book and acted at all times with professionalism and integrity.'

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 7 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 5 Votes: 40.0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 62 Votes: 50.0% Annoying