Posted on 11/30/2009 11:10:19 AM PST by IbJensen
WASHINGTON — Serena Williams was fined a record $82,500 for her U.S. Open tirade and could be suspended from that tournament if she has another "major offense" at any Grand Slam in the next two years.
Grand Slam administrator Bill Babcock's ruling was released Monday, and he said Williams faces a "probationary period" at tennis' four major championships in 2010 and 2011. If she has another "major offense" at a Grand Slam tournament in that time, the fine would increase to $175,000 and she would be barred from the following U.S. Open.
"But if she does not have another offense in the next two years, the suspension is lifted," Babcock said in a telephone interview from London.
He said Williams is handing over $82,500 right now, already nearly double the previous highest fine for a Grand Slam offense — about $48,000 Jeff Tarango was docked in the 1990s.
Williams lashed out at a lineswoman after a foot-fault call at the end of her semifinal loss to eventual champion Kim Clijsters at the U.S. Open in September.
Williams earned $350,000 by reaching the semifinals, part of her more than $6.5 million in prize money in 2009, a single-season record for women's tennis. Her career prize money tops $28 million.
The American is an 11-time Grand Slam singles champion and ended the 2009 season at No. 1 in the WTA rankings.
Williams' profanity-laced, finger-pointing outburst drew a $10,000 fine from the U.S. Tennis Association in September — the maximum onsite penalty a tennis player can face. But because it happened at a Grand Slam tournament, Babcock was charged with investigating whether further punishment was merited.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
That ship sailed a long time ago when Ilie Nastase came onto the scene.
>>>Maybe so, but etiquette is particularly important in the game of tennis.<<<
In 1978 maybe, but not so much today. Etiquette in tennis is largely a thing of the past, and has been on the decline for 30 years or more.
Now you're just braggin' about your age!
She is one scary-looking tennis pro.
So a block in the back on a 99 yd. punt return with 4 seconds left in the game is atrocious also?
The umpire has a job to do, and she did it. Doesn’t matter what the score is. I totally agree that if this had been a white player, they would be out of tennis for a year.
Etiquette STILL plays a large part in tennis. The respect that players have for each other, and the way they behave on court has not changed that much in the 35 years I’ve been playing and watching.
I don’t recall similar treatment for McEnroe.
Is she McEnroe’s daughter?
Now if she only said “ I need my motherfriggin meth” she would have been ok.
The foot fault was not only called at a time when one would almost never call one, it was 100%, dead, wrong. The replay clearly showed nothing close to a foot fault.
If she blew an in/out call, that was 2 feet off, that would be less grevious. If you are going to make a call that is almost never made, in a crucial spot, you’d better be darn sure you are right.
Her call would be like a basketball ref calling a player for taking over 10 seconds to shoot a free throw (a call that is NEVER made) in a tie game, with 1 second to go, when the player only took 5 seconds to shoot. It was truly one of the most presumptuos and atrocious calls in the history of sports.
Of course, this does not excuse Serena’s threatening her. She deserved to be yelled at, but not threatened with violence, even if the threat was obviously an empty one. No matter how bad the officiating is, you cannot make threats of violence against officials.
Also, while racial double standards are not uncommon, I believe a white player would get the same punishment, especially if the white player was a superstar.
The foot fault was not only called at a time when one would almost never call one, it was 100%, dead, wrong. The replay clearly showed nothing close to a foot fault.
If she blew an in/out call, that was 2 feet off, that would be less grevious. If you are going to make a call that is almost never made, in a crucial spot, you’d better be darn sure you are right.
Her call would be like a basketball ref calling a player for taking over 10 seconds to shoot a free throw (a call that is NEVER made) in a tie game, with 1 second to go, when the player only took 5 seconds to shoot. It was truly one of the most presumptuos and atrocious calls in the history of sports.
Of course, this does not excuse Serena’s threatening her. She deserved to be yelled at, but not threatened with violence, even if the threat was obviously an empty one. No matter how bad the officiating is, you cannot make threats of violence against officials.
Also, while racial double standards are not uncommon, I believe a white player would get the same punishment, especially if the white player was a superstar.
The call was correct albeit at an unfortunate time. The punishment was a slap on the wrist — she should’ve lost all earnings from the US Open and been DQ’ed from the Australian Open.
“The punishment was a slap on the wrist — she should’ve lost all earnings from the US Open and been DQ’ed from the Australian Open.”
You guys are tough. Growing up in NYC, comments like hers were common during minor disagreements. Bluster like that was not taken seriously.
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