Serena slapped with fine for tirade
Source: Agencies |
December 1, 2009, Tuesday
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WORLD No. 1 Serena Williams has been fined US$175,000 and put on probation for two years for her foul-mouthed tirade at the US Open, the International Tennis Federation said yesterday.
The ITF said a further major offence at a grand slam in the next two years would see her suspended from the US Open in 2010, 2011 or 2012. The fine will be reduced to US$82,500 if she commits no further major offence through 2011.
"On 9 November 2009, the grand slam committee administrator determined Serena Williams had committed the grand slam major offence of aggravated behavior for her misconduct at the 2009 US Open," an ITF statement said.
The outburst was prompted by an incident in her semifinal against eventual champion Kim Clijsters in September. Trailing 4-6, 5-6, 15-30, Williams launched into a second serve but the baseline lineswoman called her for a foot-fault, meaning the American had served a double-fault to go match point down.
Astounded by the verdict, Williams launched into an expletive-laced rant at the official. She waved her racket in the lineswoman's direction and then shook a ball in her clenched fist as she threatened to "shove it down" her throat.
Having already received a warning earlier in the match for smashing a racket, Williams was handed an automatic point penalty for a second violation which abruptly ended the match, giving Clijsters a 6-4, 7-5 victory.
Organizers fined her US$10,500, the biggest given to a female player since records began in 1990, at the end of the tournament for her unsportsmanlike behavior.
WTA Tour chief Stacey Allaster said at the time that the American's conduct had been "inappropriate and unprofessional" while men's No. 1 Roger Federer said it left a "sour taste for everyone".
Such was the fall-out that an automatic ban, possibly even from January's Australian Open, a grand slam she won this year, had been an option.
Williams' US$175,000 fine includes the US$10,500 penalty she has already received.
Grand slam administrator Bill Babcock said the previous highest fine for a grand slam offense was about US$48,000 to Jeff Tarango in the 1990s.
Williams earned US$350,000 by reaching the semifinals, part of her more than US$6.5 million in prize money in 2009, a single-season record for women's tennis. Her career prize money tops US$28 million.
The American is a 11-time grand slam singles champion and ended the 2009 season at No. 1.
Babcock said Williams has been informed of the ruling. She has been in Barbados for an exhibition tournament, and her agent did not immediately reply for a comment.
Babcock said a "major offense" under grand slam rules is "any conduct that is determined to be the 'major offense' of 'aggravated behavior' or 'conduct detrimental to the game.'" There is no specific definition of what sort of actions constitute a "major offense."
The ITF said a further major offence at a grand slam in the next two years would see her suspended from the US Open in 2010, 2011 or 2012. The fine will be reduced to US$82,500 if she commits no further major offence through 2011.
"On 9 November 2009, the grand slam committee administrator determined Serena Williams had committed the grand slam major offence of aggravated behavior for her misconduct at the 2009 US Open," an ITF statement said.
The outburst was prompted by an incident in her semifinal against eventual champion Kim Clijsters in September. Trailing 4-6, 5-6, 15-30, Williams launched into a second serve but the baseline lineswoman called her for a foot-fault, meaning the American had served a double-fault to go match point down.
Astounded by the verdict, Williams launched into an expletive-laced rant at the official. She waved her racket in the lineswoman's direction and then shook a ball in her clenched fist as she threatened to "shove it down" her throat.
Having already received a warning earlier in the match for smashing a racket, Williams was handed an automatic point penalty for a second violation which abruptly ended the match, giving Clijsters a 6-4, 7-5 victory.
Organizers fined her US$10,500, the biggest given to a female player since records began in 1990, at the end of the tournament for her unsportsmanlike behavior.
WTA Tour chief Stacey Allaster said at the time that the American's conduct had been "inappropriate and unprofessional" while men's No. 1 Roger Federer said it left a "sour taste for everyone".
Such was the fall-out that an automatic ban, possibly even from January's Australian Open, a grand slam she won this year, had been an option.
Williams' US$175,000 fine includes the US$10,500 penalty she has already received.
Grand slam administrator Bill Babcock said the previous highest fine for a grand slam offense was about US$48,000 to Jeff Tarango in the 1990s.
Williams earned US$350,000 by reaching the semifinals, part of her more than US$6.5 million in prize money in 2009, a single-season record for women's tennis. Her career prize money tops US$28 million.
The American is a 11-time grand slam singles champion and ended the 2009 season at No. 1.
Babcock said Williams has been informed of the ruling. She has been in Barbados for an exhibition tournament, and her agent did not immediately reply for a comment.
Babcock said a "major offense" under grand slam rules is "any conduct that is determined to be the 'major offense' of 'aggravated behavior' or 'conduct detrimental to the game.'" There is no specific definition of what sort of actions constitute a "major offense."
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