Serena Williams Fined $2000 for U.S. Open Outburst
EmailSerena Williams was fined $2,000 by the U.S. Open after unleashing her wrath on an official who called her out for on court hindrance during Sunday’s women’s final.
Tournament referee Brian Earley issued his ruling Monday, a day after Williams was issued a code violation for verbal abuse by chair umpire Eva Asderaki during a 6-2, 6-3 loss to Australia’s Sam Stosur at Flushing Meadows.
Williams got off relatively easy. In a statement to ABC News, the United States Tennis Association said Grand Slam committee director Bill Babcock determined that “Williams’ conduct, while verbally abusive, does not rise to the level of a major offense.”
A major offense could have spelled trouble for Williams, who was already under probation after a similar outburst at the 2009 U.S. Open. Nonetheless, Sunday’s break in decorum may have tarnished the charmed comeback for Williams, who was kept off the court for nearly a year with injuries and medical problems.
It all started when Williams, 29, and Stosur, 27, were in the first game of the match’s second set and the Australian went after Williams’ forehand shot. But just before the ball hit Stosur’s racket, Williams belted out “Come on!” Stosur barely tapped the ball, and the score went from 30-40 to deuce.
Asderaki, the chair umpire at Arthur Ashe Stadium, gave Williams a code violation and a point penalty — giving the game to Stosur.
Reacting to the decision, Williams did not quite have a repeat of her 2009 on court calamity, when she physically threatened a lineswoman who called her for a foot foul in an obscenity-ridden rant. But she was heard to say the following to the umpire:
“Don’t even look at me. I promise you, don’t look at me … Don’t look my way,” “Who would do such a thing? And I never complain. Wow. What a loser,” “You’re out of control, you’re a hater and you’re unattractive inside,” “A code violation because I expressed who I am? Really? We’re in America the last time I checked.” But the kicker – which could potentially be seen as a threat was: “If you ever see me walking down the hall … walk the other way.
Williams was called for hindrance, which is an interpretation of her yell of “Come on!” as deliberate interference. Once the point and game were awarded to Stosur, the crowd at Arthur Ashe booed for over a full minute. But that didn’t slow the ninth-seeded Australian, who rallied against Williams, pushing the 13-time Grand Slam champ around the court with strong forehands and powerful serves.
Williams narrowly avoided another on court meltdown — along with the $82,500 fine and two-year probation by the Grand Slam committee that she was handed after her notorious 2009 tirade.
After her loss on Sunday, Williams explained herself.
“I just yelled, ‘Come on!’ ” Williams said. “It was a great shot. It was beautiful. I hit it like right in the sweet spot. I don’t know. It was a good shot, and it was the only good shot I think I hit. I was like, ‘Woo Hoo!”
She also seemed to put the whole episode behind her. On her Twitter page, she wrote, “Congrats to Sam Stoser. She played amazing! As for me next time.”
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I blame the chair umpire, she obviously had it in for Williams from the beginning, the Aussie was not the better player, she was handed the match. FOUL!
Posted by: Jo in Minneapolis | September 12, 2011, 3:52 pm 3:52 pm
JO…nice try. Stosur was on her game and Williams was not. The difference = a whoppin’.
Posted by: s | September 12, 2011, 4:10 pm 4:10 pm
Serena lost the first set 2:6 and knew she was going to lose the match, hence her silly behavior. Samantha Stosur was simply a much better player last night.
Posted by: jwk | September 12, 2011, 4:21 pm 4:21 pm
Jo, get real! Serena even said that Stosur played a better game!!
Posted by: Tom | September 12, 2011, 4:27 pm 4:27 pm
Williams melted down because she was losing. Shouting “come on” at Stosur while the ball was in play truely lacked class. She misidentified the umpire….. “Aren’t you the one who screwed me over the last time I was here? You have it out for me?” . Nope, Willams was wrong. Not the same umpire. Truely an embarrasment for America tennis. The fine should have been much stiffer.
Posted by: free_2_choose | September 12, 2011, 5:05 pm 5:05 pm
I was so disappointed in the American fans for cheering Serena on yesterday. She behaved horribly. I don’t care if the call was right or wrong, competitors CANNOT have temper tantrums and disrespect officials. In tennis there are always controversial calls – you gotta roll with it and conduct yourself properly. I’m glad Samantha won and I’m glad Serena was fined!
Posted by: Deb | September 12, 2011, 5:27 pm 5:27 pm
I am a Serena fan but feel she should have just moved on and not fueled the fire with her tantrum. She got excited and yelled out during the point and thus should have just taken the consequences for they were not that unreasonable. I’m sure the Williams sisters don’t care that their behavior sometimes spurs negative feelings towards them (some folks are just looking for a reason) but that is a pretty sad attitude to take. Even if you think the World is out against you show good character in all “you” do. This is the second time she has let her self give in to ugly behavior. She is grown but her parents should still have a conversation with her about controlling her emotions if they care about her (in the long run her reputation is what will be tarnished). I’m a fan but I’m starting to wonder about the underlying character that would allow her to think that being so nasty towards someone is OK.
Posted by: DanielC | September 12, 2011, 5:51 pm 5:51 pm
Sad to see such pathetic behavior by a so called professional! Lets keep this sport decent Serena!
Posted by: Mark | September 12, 2011, 6:29 pm 6:29 pm
First of all she was still in trouble for the last time and still they asses more money against her and make sure she can’t any more ever again because she didn’t learn the first time around and I wouldn’t be surprised that she would be banned from other countries because of her mouth,
Second of all she represents women in general in the USA not just herself of which she doesn’t understand and if I were black women I wouldn’t be happy because that makes them look awful in the eyes of many countries.
Posted by: Carol | September 12, 2011, 7:55 pm 7:55 pm
“I just yelled, ‘Come on!’ ” Williams said. “It was a great shot. It was beautiful. I hit it like right in the sweet spot. I don’t know. It was a good shot, and it was the only good shot I think I hit. I was like, ‘Woo Hoo!”………No, it’s not like “woo hoo”. It’s an in your face– let’s see you handle this shot–comment. I’ts what you’d hear with someone picking a fight. Disgusting!
Posted by: free_2_choose | September 12, 2011, 8:13 pm 8:13 pm
The line judge is out of control?! She is such a prima donna.
Posted by: Thomas | September 12, 2011, 8:15 pm 8:15 pm
Funny how it is okay for John McEnroy to throw his little temper tanrums and get away with it but not for Serena Williams. Here we go again those american “double standards”. Frankly if Serena can’t say anything, then get rid of all the sounds some players make out loud, especially the “hoo’s” being done by Sarapova every time she hits a ball , they are distracting to say the lease!
Posted by: Jeanie | September 12, 2011, 8:21 pm 8:21 pm
When a referee gives someone a point just because she didn’t like what was said, it is hard trying to overcome that injustice and hard to come back knowing you are playing against two people, the player and the referee.
Posted by: Jeanie | September 12, 2011, 8:39 pm 8:39 pm
During this match, the only sounds were coming from Williams. It’s one thing to make your noise when YOU are hitting the ball. Quite another when yelling when you opponent is trying to hit the ball. That said—it would be nice to see all yelling outlawed.
Posted by: free_2_choose | September 12, 2011, 8:49 pm 8:49 pm
And all outbursts fined, no matter who does it and not relegated to just one person/group.
Posted by: Jeanie | September 12, 2011, 9:04 pm 9:04 pm
Maybe it is time for African Americans to match to desegregate US Tennis and Car racing. These two sports are very popular around the world, but in the US it is given an all White face. They try to do the same thing with soccer, and that explains why the US is beaten by small countries like Ghana, because American soccer talents are not being nurtured in the right group. Serena, they detest you because you are not dating a White Boy and saying horrible things about your father.
Posted by: Odo | September 12, 2011, 9:54 pm 9:54 pm
It appears from comments made here that Serena Williams is the only tennis player given to outbursts, cursing and threats, but she “is” the only one fined for doing so. See Other Tennis Outburst to see what I am talking about. See: Maria Sharapova’s yelling at the umpire “Up your ####### ### outburst” for example. Little was said or written about that, but let Serena do that and everyone is oh so appalled and think it so “horrible”. Like I said, double standards.
Posted by: Jeanie | September 12, 2011, 9:59 pm 9:59 pm
Negative publicity always given for Serena’s outbursts and even statements about how little she was fined her outburst, but little have been reported about other tennis stars outbursts, foul language, breaking rackets and cursing the umpires without fines is the usual practice. It appears that this type of negative reporting is ONLY done when it is certain people because it appeals to many americans. Serena is being held to higher standards and fined if she fails to meet those standards but other tennis star’s negative actions go unpunished and unpublicized.
Posted by: Jeanie | September 12, 2011, 10:26 pm 10:26 pm
I’m African American. Serena yelled just before the attempted return, she got penalized and should have owned up to it and moved on. I think she just got excited because things were looking so miserable, the yell was just a mistake the reaction to the umpire was the problem. From the Serena fan side let’s not get paranoid and start making silly acusations and from the other side let’s not get on too high a horse because other players have made some awful offenses too. Let’s all just move on. Will be an old story by tomorrow.
Posted by: DanielC | September 12, 2011, 11:36 pm 11:36 pm
Serena’s attitude, as well as the way she played, was horrible. I noticed she thanked “Jehovah” when interviewed after the match. Well, I’d like to know why she even bothered to thank God, when He most definitely was not glorified or honored in the way that she acted during her rant on the court. She shows no signs of being truly grateful for overcoming the serious illness that recently attacked her body. It seems she really didn’t learn a thing about humility, gratitude, and appreciation for a second chance on life afterall. Another thing I observed about her play throughout her matches during this US Open…when she remained calm, subdued, and less vocal, she won more points and made fewer errors. She’s been spiraling downward morally and character-wise since befriending and hanging out with spoiled-rotten celebrities! She owes the umpire, the American people, as well as God, an apology.
Posted by: Fifi | September 13, 2011, 1:27 am 1:27 am
Serena has always been a low-life (and her sister) right from the get-go. She should have been fined a million dollars. How dare she speak to the umpire like that. I say take her out of tennis. I’m sick of watching her.
Posted by: Joyce Robinson | September 13, 2011, 9:42 am 9:42 am
The Williams sisters ruin the elegance that tennis is. They think that because they were good players then, they deserve to be treated with respect and be admired? Starting with the way they dress and those big earring !!! … is that fashion? They look like street walkers!
What a disgrace and embarrasement for the parents and for the sport!! …. It’s time they move on… bring the better, descent players with beautiful faces, bodies and PERSONALITIES to match out into the court!!
Posted by: Alex | September 13, 2011, 11:18 am 11:18 am
$2000, seriously??? Thats like 5 cents to her, if that. She acted like a petualnt child and should be put in the naughty corner as such (in this case, suspended).
Posted by: myra | September 14, 2011, 8:59 am 8:59 am
I think people who knows tennis are appalled by Serena’s behaviour and demeanor. Very unsportsmanlike and disrespectful. $ 2,000 is not enough, giving such a measly fine will encourage further acts. She is a great player but awful sportswoman. Audience during the match are at fault also why cheer that behavior? earlier that week Marion Bartoli committed the very same thing yelling come on while Cristina McHale trying to returns, point was awarded against Bartoli. i didn’t hear any complaints, no jeers, the commentators accepted it. What is disgraceful, Serena never accepted her mistake just like the 2009 tirade. She just get away with everything except for a 2,000 USD which is nothing for her. Sad state. And Serena, you tweeted Congratulations to Stoser… it is Stosur. Seemed deliberate.
Posted by: Stryker | September 14, 2011, 9:30 am 9:30 am
serena & venus williams= NO CLASS!
Posted by: jo | September 14, 2011, 4:55 pm 4:55 pm