Serena Williams' smashed tennis racket from 2018 US Open auctioned for $20,910

Serena Williams' smashed racket from her US Open final defeat in 2018 by Naomi Osaka has been sold for USD 20,910 at a New Jersey auction according to CNN. The racket was damaged by her in the bad-tempered loss, a match which sparked controversy after the 23-time grand slam champion was docked a game for clashing with umpire Carlos Ramos. The racket was just one of the many well-known sporting memorabilia up for grabs at Goldin Auctions.

Williams initially gave her smashed racket to ball boy Justin Arrington-Holmes, who sold it to a dealer in Manhattan for USD 500 earlier this year, according to the New York Times. "Looking back I wish I'd had someone help me with the process," said Holmes. "I was not familiar with how any of this works. I just wanted to get rid of it," he added.

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Williams consulted therapist

In July, Serena Williams had revealed that she consulted a therapist following her 2018 match meltdown. The tennis star had a verbal spat with the umpire which created headlines and overshadowed Naomi Osaka's maiden Grand Slam victory. Williams said she sent an apology to Naomi Osaka for her behaviour in last year's US Open final. Williams said in Harper's Bazaar magazine article that she wrote to Osaka after not being able to "find peace."

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Other big items

In the Goldin Auctions, a Jesse Owens gold medal from the 1936 Olympics was the most expensive lot, fetching USD 615,000. A signed rookie card from 2004 of American basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers LeBron James was sold for USD 198,030. "This was truly a remarkable event in both the wide assortment of items and the record prices realized for so many of them," said founder of Goldin Auctions founder Ken Goldin. In total, 1,500 lots generated USD 4.3 million in sales, with five pieces of memorabilia closing for more than USD 1,00,000. 

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