By CHRISTOPHER CLAREY
Published: November 30, 2009
Serena Williams, the top-ranked player in women’s tennis, will pay a price for her threatening, profanity-laced tirade against a lineswoman during the semifinals of this year’s United States Open. But though she was fined a hefty $175,000 by the Grand Slam committee in a decision announced Monday, it decided against suspending her from next year’s Open or any other Grand Slam event.
Serena Williams argued with game officials after being disqualified for a default during the U.S. Open women’s singles semifinal match against Kim Clijsters on September 12.
Instead, the committee followed the recommendation of its administrator and lead investigator, Bill Babcock, and adopted a middle path by heavily fining Williams and placing her on two years’ probation. If she commits another major offense in the next two seasons at one of the four Grand Slam tournaments, she will be automatically suspended from the subsequent United States Open.
In addition, if she does not commit another major offense during the next two years, she will have her fine reduced to $82,500.
Williams could not immediately be reached for comment. Her agent, Jill Smoller, said she was on vacation outside the United States. Williams can appeal within 10 days of the ruling, which was rendered Saturday. But an appeal is unlikely because Williams could have been given a much harsher penalty, including a suspension and the loss of her prize money from the Open, where she lost in the singles semifinals to Kim Clijsters and won the women’s doubles event with her sister Venus Williams.
Serena Williams lost her temper Sept. 12 while serving to stay in the match against Clijsters. Trailing by 4-6, 5-6 and 15-30, she was called for a foot fault after a second serve, which gave the point to Clijsters and brought up match point.
Williams, upset at the timing of the foot-fault call, turned toward the lineswoman who had made the call and, using profanity, threatened to stuff a tennis ball down her throat.
Williams, who had received an official warning for smashing a racket earlier in the match, was given a point penalty on court by the tournament referee Brian Earley. With Williams facing match point, the decision gave Clijsters the victory.
Williams, initially unapologetic and evasive, incrementally amplified her apology over the next two days. She was fined the maximum $10,000 during the tournament but was permitted to play in the doubles final the next day. That $10,000 fine will be deducted from the total announced Monday.
The Grand Slam committee members did not immediately elaborate on the rationale for their decision in their statement, but a tennis official with knowledge of the case said the fact that the 28-year-old Williams had not committed a similar infraction in her lengthy career was a factor in opting for probation instead of suspension.
“We’re not talking about a John McEnroe type character here,” the official said.
Williams had been fined for audible obscenities and racket abuse in her career, but this was her first major offense. The Grand Slam committee found her guilty of aggravated behavior, which, according to the Grand Slam rule book, is “behavior that is flagrant and particularly injurious to the success of a Grand Slam, or is singularly egregious.”
