Serena Williams Gets $82K Fine, Probation

(AP)  Serena Williams was fined at least 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 told The Associated Press on Monday.

Babcock's decision was to be formally released later Monday.

He said Williams faces a "probationary period" at Grand Slam tournaments in 2010 and 2011.

If she has another "major offense" at a major championship in that time, the fine would increase to $175,000 and she would be barred from the following U.S. Open.

Babcock said the previous highest fine for a Grand Slam offense was about $48,000 to Jeff Tarango in the 1990s.

Williams lashed out at a lineswoman after a foot-fault call at the end of her U.S. Open semifinal loss to eventual champion Kim Clijsters.

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.

He concluded that Williams violated the "major offense" rule for "aggravated behavior." The Grand Slam committee - with one representative from each of the sport's four major championships - approved his decision Saturday.

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 to a request for comment Monday.

[Drmurray40]

She should be Banned. Quit showing Favoritism!

[cheteunice]

That's all the penalty she got for threatening the line judge? She should be suspended indefinately--if not banned!

[chasf2602]

Get that women off of steroids

[phintel]

Controversy over official rulings during a sporting event can be virtually eliminated with cameras, automatic sensors, and other electronic devises. If a player or a team appeals the decision of an official, all they have to do is look at the data and the pictures to see and understand what really happened. Emotional boiling points can be avoided if the indisputable facts (not opinion) are there for everyone to see. I would like to see a drastic reduction in officials' subjective decisions by replacing most officials with sensors and cameras. Two or three officials could remain to issue a subjective judgement in the unlikely event that the sensors and cameras yield insufficient objective proof.

[novamba]

souper12, i agree with you somewhat. She is being reprimanded worse than I've seen though and the fine is no joke. within the context of her actions, I understand she felt shafted, but I do not condone the tirade, although I did enjoy seeing a judge get theirs on a bad call...

[Brokennews]

$82,000 fine eh? So that works out to fining the average person like $15 bucks. Somehow I don't think she's feeling the pain of the fine. She probably figures it was worth it.

[louiville35]

Roid Rage?

[souper12]

No person on the court deserves a tounge lashing by a player. SERENA should be eliminated from competition for the next two years instead of probation.Serena had an option to protest versus opening her BIG MOUTH! She also should be forced to pay the lineswoman $82,500.00 for the embarassment she caused this innocent woman! What we have here is just another RICH, SPOILED, BRAT !! Plain and simple. DISGUSTING !!

[sdemaggie]

This is ridiculous. The tennis players of today are sooo boring. I miss McEnro!