"What makes it worse was Jennifer Capriati; karma got her & her career literally ended" - Fans recall Serena Williams' controversial US Open 2004 exit

Fans have recalled Serena Williams' controversial 2004 US Open exit and how it led to the implementation of new technology in the sport.

Williams and Jennifer Capriati met in the quarterfinals of the New York Major that year. During the match, the former endured several bad calls in the final set, with television replays confirming that she was being wronged.

The American eventually lost 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 and exited the tournament. The manner of her defeat even prompted the United States Tennis Association (USTA) to issue an apology for chair umpire Mariana Alves' mistake. They also stated that they would consider using video replays in the future.

A user on X (formerly Twitter) asked for instances where an athlete was responsible for bringing about a big change to their sport's rules. In reply, a fan named Williams and her influence on tennis.

After her 2004 US Open defeat, the International Tennis Federation approved electronic line-calling for matches. It was tested and passed for use in the sport in 2006.

Recalling that defeat, a fan stated that Capriati should also be held accountable for the bad calls as she refused to speak up at that moment.

"What makes it all worse was Capriati. She KNEW those calls were wrong, even said “cmon I had a few line calls go against me in my career” and decided to say nothing. This was worse than what Henin did imo. Karma got her though and her career literally ended," a fan said.

Another fan chimed in saying that Serena Williams' 2004 US Open final exit makes him angry to this day.

"This still makes me so angry watching. And what makes it worse is Capriati’s on court interview afterward," read another post on X (formerly Twitter).

Here are some more fan reactions:

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"I feel cheated, robbed" - What Serena Williams said after her 2004 US Open defeat to Jennifer Capriati

Serena Williams is a 23-time Grand Slam champion.

Serena Williams was not shy to express her thoughts following her controversial exit at the 2004 US Open.

At a press conference, she said that chair umpire Mariana Alves went "temporarily insane." When asked to describe her emotions, the 23-time Grand Slam winner said that she was very angry and bitter, stating that she felt cheated and robbed.

"I did. I thought she had got the score wrong. I was going to call the referee. But she claimed that, you know - I guess she went temporarily insane," the American said.

"Very angry and bitter right now (laughing). I'm extremely angry. Bitter (laughing). I'm upset. I feel cheated. Should I keep going? I just feel robbed," she added.

Speaking about the same in August 2022, Serena maintained that she still has trauma from that match and disclosed that it became impossible for her to play normally in the aftermath.