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.
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With her outlandish outfits and trash talking, she just might have a future in the WWE.
Judge is a racist
Didn’t she tell the judge who she is.LOL
Seems like a big fine for a minor incident, especially since the call was BS.
Beer Time!
But to threaten to shove a tennis bowl down the referee’s f-cking mouth is a bit over the top.
I do not agree. She should have been suspended for her outrageous outburst. Her outburst was unprecendented. She appeared to be ready to attack the line judge.
The call was cheesy, and should not have been made at that point unless it was a gross violation. But it was the worst profanity-ridden threatening outburst I have ever seen in tennis. She made McEnroe look like a choir boy.
Like father like daughter....
I didn’t consider it a minor incident, she threatened the line judge and I don’t believe even McEnroe ever did that, she should have been suspended, IMO.
I'm sure she's learned her lesson!
What a Joke!
That would be like fining me .25 cents and expecting it to have an effect.
Replay confirmed it was a foot fault, which was her second. It just happened to be on match point. Tough luck, Serena.
But regardless of the call, Serena was far and above way out of line to say to the line judge, "I swear to God I'm [expletive] going to take this [expletive] ball and shove it down your [expletive] throat, you hear that? I swear to God." (according to ESPN)
That is not a minor incident. Serena should count herself lucky she was not thrown out of the USTA.
Her outburst was a direct physical threat to the line judge. This can’t be tolerated in any professinal sport.
The tournement director should have had security remove her from the event.
If it were up to me she would be OUT OF TENNIS for a year. Possibly for life if she did not publicly appologize for her actions.
I guarantee that, if Serena was white, she would have been kicked out of tennis for a couple of years. She threatened that judge, and in most jurisdictions, that would be an assault.
The people running tennis are so afraid of being called “racists” if they punished Serena any stronger. No doubt Serena got a break for being black
The call was atrocious, so I don't blame her for being angry. Sadly, profanity laced tirades are fairly common in sports today, so I don't think that part earned a huge fine. However, threatening the official (although she clearly didn't intend to carry out the threat) is way out of bounds, and deserved a big fine.
I could see that!
No way man,
The way the Giants are playing I bet she would be an improvement over their current linebackers.
Course I am a Dolphins fans and a well taught high school J.V. team could kick their rear ends.
Maybe so, but etiquette is particularly important in the game of tennis.
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