The racket Serena William smashed during her 2018 US Open final defeat against Naomi Osaka is expected to fetch up to $50,000 at auction

• The racket Serena Williams smashed during her 2018 US Open Final defeat to Naomi Osaka is up for auction, and could fetch up to $50,000.
• Williams destroyed the racket during a heated argument with umpire Carlos Ramos, who had accused her of cheating.
• "I think the low end would be $10,000," Ken Goldin, the founder of Goldin Auctions, told The New York Times. "I wouldn't be surprised if it goes to $25,000 or $50,000."
• The "Wilson Blade" came into the auction by way of a ball boy whom Williams gave the racket to after the match.
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The racket which Serena Williams smashed during her 2018 US Open Final defeat to Naomi Osaka is up for auction, and could fetch up to $50,000.

Williams infamously destroyed the "Wilson Blade" midway through the second set of the match, shortly after being accused of coaching by the umpire on the day Carlos Ramos.

She received a code violation for the outburst, and later a game penalty from the resulting argument. After losing to Osaka 6-2, 6-4, she then labeled Ramos a "sexist" and a "thief."

The racket is now up for sale on Goldin Auctions and already has a bid of $2,100. However, that figure is expected to rise significantly before the auction closes.

"I think the low end would be $10,000, and I wouldn't be surprised if it goes to $25,000 or $50,000," Ken Goldin, the founder of Goldin Auctions, told The New York Times.

The piece of memorabilia came up for sale by way of a US Open ball boy named Justin Arrington-Holmes, who told The Times that Williams said he could keep it after the match.

Holmes, however, unaware of its potential value, then sold it, alongside a certificate of its authenticity, on to a buyer for a meager $500, and it's since made its way to Goldin Auctions.

It remains unclear whether the person who bought the racket from Holmes is now the seller, as they asked to remain anonymous, says The Times.

The auction ends on December 7.

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