Serena Williams Fined $10,500 for Tirade

NEW YORK (AP) -- The U.S. Open has fined Serena Williams $10,000 for her tirade directed at a line judge at the end of a semifinal loss to Kim Clijsters.

It's the maximum on-site fine a Grand Slam tennis tournament can issue for unsportsmanlike conduct.

The U.S. Open said Sunday the Grand Slam Committee Administrator has opened an investigation to determine whether Williams' behavior should be considered a "major offense," which can lead to additional penalties.

Williams also is being docked $500 for racket abuse in what became a 6-4, 7-5 loss Saturday night.

Williams earned $350,000 in prize money for reaching the singles semifinals. She also is scheduled to play in the women's doubles final Monday with her sister Venus.

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Serena Williams Photos

A line judge leaves her chair to report an argument with Serena Williams, left, of the United States, during her match against Kim Clijsters, of Belgium, at the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Serena Williams Snapshots

Serena Williams of the US hits a return against Kim Clijsters from Belgium during their Women's Semi-Final US Open match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center September 12, 2009 in New York. TOPSHOTS AFP PHOTO / TIMOTHY A. CLARY (Photo credit should read TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Serena Williams (L) of the US looks over at the US Open's referee Brian Earley (R) as he speaks to a lineswoman (2nd R) in Williams' match against Kim Clijsters from Belgium during their women's semi-final US Open match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center September 12, 2009 in New York. TOPSHOTS AFP PHOTO / TIMOTHY A. CLARY (Photo credit should read TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Serena Williams of the US waves shakes hands after loosing to Kim Clijsters of Belgium during their Women's Semi-Final US Open match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center September 12, 2009 in New York. AFP PHOTO / TIMOTHY A. CLARY (Photo credit should read TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Serena Williams of the US waves as she walks off the court after loosing to Kim Clijsters of Belgium during their Women's Semi-Final US Open match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center September 12, 2009 in New York. AFP PHOTO / TIMOTHY A. CLARY (Photo credit should read TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Serena Williams (R) of the US watches as Brian Earley (2nd R), US Open Referee and Donna Kelso (2nd L), Grand Slam Supervisor, talks to a line judge (L) after Williams yelled at her for calling a foot fault during the semifinal match against Kim Clijsters of Belgium of the 2009 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, in New York, September 12, 2009. Williams was assessed a point penalty, which happened to be on match point giving the match to Clijsters, 6-4, 7-5. AFP PHOTO/Stan Honda (Photo credit should read STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Serena Williams of the US points her racquet at a umpire during their Women's Semi-Final US Open match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center September 12, 2009 in New York. AFP PHOTO / TIMOTHY A. CLARY (Photo credit should read TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Head referee Brain Earley and Donna Kelso talk to the line umpire during the match between Kim Clijsters and Serena Williams during their Women's Semi-Final US Open match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center September 12, 2009 in New York. AFP PHOTO / TIMOTHY A. CLARY (Photo credit should read TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Serena Williams (R) of the US talks to Brian Earley (2nd R), US Open Referee and Donna Kelso (2nd L), Grand Slam Supervisor, after Williams yelled at a line judge (L) for calling a foot fault during the semifinal match against Kim Clijsters of Belgium of the 2009 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, in New York, September 12, 2009. Williams was assessed a point penalty, which happened to be on match point giving the match to Clijsters, 6-4, 7-5. AFP PHOTO/Stan Honda (Photo credit should read STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Serena Williams (R) of the US talks to Brian Earley (C), US Open Referee and Donna Kelso (L), Grand Slam Supervisor, after Williams yelled at a line judge for calling a foot fault during the semifinal match against Kim Clijsters of Belgium of the 2009 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, in New York, September 12, 2009. Williams was assessed a point penalty, which happened to be on match point giving the match to Clijsters, 6-4, 7-5. AFP PHOTO/Stan Honda (Photo credit should read STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images)

AFP/Getty Images

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

9-13-2009 @ 7:46PM

T said...

She should be suspended for next years US Open and all her winnings from this years tournament should be striped and given to the Arthur Ashe foundation and the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health. She disgraced herself on his court she should make amends to his memory.

9-13-2009 @ 11:59PM

alex said...

I AGREE, SERENA SHOULD BE SUSPENDED UNTIL SHE LEARNS AT LEAST TWO LENGUAGES AND APPOLOGIES TO EVERYBODY, INCLUDING THE LINE REFEREE IN HER OWN MOTHER LENGUAGE

9-14-2009 @ 1:51AM

Katrina this isn’t about RACE you mental midget! Connors and McEnroe had been find more than anyone in that era was that race too? In 1987 Johnny Mac was tossed from the open fined 7500 bucks and suspended for 2 months!!! And he didn’t threaten some little girl half her size's life !! happy now?!! And sfaith I would gladly make that and a few more comments to her face! If anyone of us had done/said the same things to a coworker we would be fired and more than likely arrested.

9-13-2009 @ 8:13PM

Al Gray said...

Before someone jumps all over the grammar, meant to say hides (not hinds). Sorry for the error.

9-13-2009 @ 8:19PM

bobpat1518 said...

Ban Serena for a period of time for her actions. Any other professional sport, she would be given involuntary time off. $10,000 fine is a joke, but that is the maximum, so be it.

9-13-2009 @ 8:25PM

ashleigh said...

She is a great talent, but this was beyond disgraceful and she should be suspended from future play... To someone who has made over $25 million just from tennis (not including what she makes in endorsements & other endeavors), a puny $10,500 fine is nothing! I agree with the other poster who says her earnings from this tournament need to be stripped and given to the Arthur Ashe foundation, or even the Billie Jean King Tennis Center, PLUS suspension... While others have had hissy fits before, yelling "you cannot be serious" is not the same as saying "I swear to God, if I could, I'd take this f'g ball & shove it down your f'g throat & kill you, I swear, I would if I could" -- it'd not even close, and then she went off on her a 2nd time, too, all the while waving her raquet menacingly at the line judge... A MINORITY line judge, before everyone wants to claim racism on this... By the way, I was there, and her foot was clearly on the line when she served, so there WAS a foot fault, even though I HATE foot fault calls -- they're just stupid, & they call them on Lleyton Hewitt all the time, too -- I hate them, but I hate what Serena did even more, especially since I believe she did that so she wouldn't "lose" but get defaulted instead... Kim was winning decisively, and Serena's ego couldn't handle it... Disgusting... And, No, this opinion does NOT make me a racist...

9-13-2009 @ 11:24PM

The Magic is You said...

You are well informed and have a right call on this whole issue.

9-13-2009 @ 8:30PM

bert and friends said...

I think give it a rest. Serena is not the first person to have a moment playing tennis and won't be the last. She has been find and plus all the negatives that comes from this. What the Williams sister have done for tennis should not be dimish by one incident.People need to worry about their own life and just take sports for what is a game.

9-13-2009 @ 8:40PM

moms said...

I'm sick of the athletes acting like little idiots. If I would act like that at my job (which isn't playing a game for a living) I would be fired. Why shouldn't professional athletes act professional and earn a living like the rest of us. I is time they should be held accountable the the working class.

9-13-2009 @ 8:42PM

Neysa Janell said...

Banned from future games for having a hissy fit? Opening a further investigation? Are you people serious? Athletes are passionate about their sport, give it a rest.

9-13-2009 @ 8:51PM

2nd Screen said...

I'm guessing her dad never taught her how to talk like a lady.......

B DiZZle said...

Lol, i was actually in the first row of that corner of that match, and let me tell you , it was hilarious, she lost so much endorsement from that too
Somebody had a tissy...

9-13-2009 @ 8:57PM

thecla8 said...

the interveiw after her game was sad she can barely speak she looks likes she is having a hard time putting together simple words is she retarded are something?

9-13-2009 @ 8:59PM

violetdks said...

No, just figuring out how to lie quickly in a way that it didn't seem completely idiotic, however she failed miserably, and will soon be backpeddling her way through many cases of this being thrown back into her face.

9-14-2009 @ 12:30AM

faith said...

r u retarded people should not judge others unless
they have been in the other person shoes

9-13-2009 @ 8:58PM

Having a hissy fit (it was far more than that and repeatedly while we are at it) and telling someone you are going to kill them are two different things, and I feel she should be penalized very steaply for that comment alone. This is someone all the young tennis players in the world are watching, what type of example does this set for them. First a double racket hit, then charging the linesman swinging her racket at her, then charging her again, then lying to the judges that she did not say what has clearly been proved that she did say, and then the Oscar winning lying performance at the press conference. She deserves to be banned from tennis for a while. Spend some of that winnings on anger management would be a nice and helpful way of issuing a penalty??? Serena, you walk into a court thinking you deserve to win, you think you are better than everyone else, you openly call other players cheaters - what gives you the right to treats others this way? If it was done to you you would be the first opening her big mouth about it. Your sister acts like the lady she is, what happened to you along the way. I'll never read your book now, and cerainly will not contribute in any way to anything that would put money into your pocket!

andsaun said...

shame on her...... i was watching with my kids!

9-13-2009 @ 10:46PM

katrina said...

get real this is small to what your kids will hear in the future, get real it aint even about that it's a race issue afterall the stage was just set for kim clijsters to win the us open and not to mention that those racist were not about to let serena win two majors back to back they're just to busy praising kim clijsters but we all know had serena been given a fair chance she would be us open champion tonite.....

9-13-2009 @ 9:03PM

longfordmac2 said...

Inexcusable behavior for a 28 year old woman....... period.

This is not an example for children, or young adults.

9-13-2009 @ 9:08PM

AND ...... anyone who describes the judgement of the USTA as racist or the fans of this GREAT sport and their disfavor of this UNPROFESSIONAL behavior is a racist themselves. Black, White, Yellow or any other color should be fined and suspended. This outburst was a severe lowering of the bar, plain and simple. Pres. Obama gets it when he say there needs to be accountability. And here's a prime example of where penalties needs to be severely applied.

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